Mukul Rohatgi declines Modi govt's offer to be next Attorney General, cites 'no specific reason'

The Centre had offered the post of Attorney General of India to senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi earlier this month to succeed KK Venugopal, 91, whose term will end on September 30.

FILE PHOTO: Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi

New Delhi: Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi on Sunday said he has declined the central government's offer to be the next Attorney General of India. Rohatgi told PTI that there was no specific reason behind his decision. The Centre had offered the post of AG to Rohatgi earlier this month to succeed K K Venugopal, 91, whose term will end on September 30. Rohatgi was the AG from June 2014 to June 2017. He was succeeded by Venugopal, who was appointed to the post in July 2017.

Venugopal was reappointed as the top law officer of the country for three months on June 29.

He had been unwilling to continue in the post due to "personal reasons". However, he acceded to a request from the government for continuing till September 30, Union law ministry officials had said earlier.

When Venugopal's first term as the AG was to end in 2020, he had requested the government to relieve him of his responsibilities on account of his age.

He later accepted a fresh tenure of a year since the government was keen on him continuing, given the high-profile cases he was handling and his vast experience at the Bar.

The AG usually has a tenure of three years.

Rohatgi, a veteran lawyer, has appeared in several high-profile cases in the apex court as well as high courts across the country.