Congress member Abhishek Manu Singhvi has been silenced as Congress spokesperson.
There are many politicians who are lawyers. They make a distinction between personal life and professional life, between personal view and party view. Sometimes they represent companies or persons who are criticised by their parties.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi had taken up the case of Samuel Martin of Megha Distributors dealing in lotteries of Sikkim and Bhutan and Kerala. Congress leaders in Kerala had accused LDF government of corruption in lottery and Abhishek Manu Singhvi’s appearance on behalf of the lottery company undermined Congress efforts. Kerala has local body elections.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Arun Jaitley have appeared for Dow Chemicals, the company that took over Union Carbide. Mahesh Jethmalani appears for Malegaon blasts accused. BJP is not against Malegaon blasts accused. It is against Germany Bakery blasts accused and does not want any lawyer to take up their case.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi, like many other politicians, was generous in giving his personal opinion on TV channels. Sometimes he would say “I can only give my personal opinion.” And the anchor would say “Yes. Yes. Give it.” P. Chidambaram would refuse to share his personal view saying “I am here as Home Minister.”
After Abhishek Manu Singhvi gave up representing the lottery company P. S. Raman, Advocate General of Tamil Nadu, took up the case. Kerala’s chief minister V. S. Achutanandan has protested to Tamil Nadu’s chief minister M. Karunanidhi. When Soli Sorabjee was Attorney General he had filed a petition in personal capacity to allow pooja in Ayodhya’s disputed place. Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi had questioned that act saying Soli Sorabjee is a Parsi and he does not have to perform pooja. There has to be ban on Attorney General, Solicitor General, Additional Solicitors General and Advocates General appearing in personal capacity unless it is a personal case.