Solicitor General wants to quit over Special Counsel in 2G case

Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium on Sunday said that he tendered his resignation as a Special Counsel was appointed to represent the government in the 2G spectrum case without taking him into confidence, which was "unfair".

"I tendered my resignation largely because of the appointment of a Special Counsel (private lawyer) to represent the Union of India in the 2G matter. I think without my consent it was not correct and it was an unfair decision," he said.

Asked whether he would stick to the decision to quit the office of the solicitor general, Subramanium said he will not comment on it now.

He said only after he came to know that a private lawyer has been engaged, he offered to resign.

Subramanium is understood to have protested before Law Minister Veerappa Moily the move to take back the file related to the case from him and handing it over to a private lawyer junior to him.

Moily will soon talk to Subramanium to persuade him not to press for his resignation even as he met President Pratibha Patil on Sunday. Subramanium, however, declined to comment on his meeting with the President.

Sources said Moily will talk to Subramanium to clear the air since he has expressed his desire to quit following the appointment of a private lawyer to appear before the Supreme Court in a case related to an affidavit filed by an NGO against Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal.

The government is confident that Subramanium will understand and continue to represent the telecom ministry in the 2G case, sources said.