Shillong, Oct 14 (NPN): Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma defended retaining Amit Kumar as Advocate General despite intense pressure from lawyers to remove him, arguing that a dismissal could destabilise state governance.
The High Court Bar Association and the Shillong Bar Association have been demanding Kumar’s removal over his claim during a Meghalaya High Court hearing that “there are many sexual harassment cases within Shillong’s legal fraternity”.
While acknowledging the concerns raised by the Bar Associations, Sangma said that he had made efforts to de-escalate tensions but maintained that replacing the Advocate General was not straightforward, citing the Law Department’s critical role in managing cases across multiple government sectors.
He pointed out that departments such as Finance, the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Home, and Law were central to the functioning of the government, with their work cutting across several sectors and involving complex administrative and legal processes.
“Changing key officials responsible for these functions could create a vacuum and affect the government’s ability to handle ongoing matters,” the Chief Minister argued. Stating that no individual is irreplaceable, Sangma said decisions involving such positions required careful consideration rather than an immediate response to demands
“It’s not something that we can just look at today and just do it tomorrow. The government would examine ways to address the concerns and improve relations with the legal fraternity,” the Chief Minister said.
Noting that the Advocate General had recused himself from several cases at the request of the Bar Associations, Sangma said Kumar continued to appear in specific matters where his specialised expertise on legal matters related to farmers, miners and teachers was deemed necessary.
The Chief Minister also urged Bar Association members to resolve the impasse through dialogue, emphasising that differences must be addressed without disrupting the state’s legal and administrative machinery.
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