When Supreme Court lawyer Harish Salve represented India in the International Court of Justice in The Hague in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case against Pakistan, it raised a few eyebrows back home. Some wondered why the government chose Salve over its own Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi for its case. Now, when Rohtagi had expressed his desire to be relieved as AG, Salve has become the front-runner for the post.
Harish Salve
One of the leading lawyers in the country, Salve was initially considered for the post when Narendra Modi government was sworn in May 2014. Salve reportedly declined to take up the post as he had prior commitments. He was also approached by the Vajpayee government to hold the post, but he was not keen.
Rohtagi's tenure gets over this month.
Salve endeared himself to the government after India's victory at The Hague as Jadhav's case had become an emotional rallying point in the country. Sources say Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen on Salve representing government's side in the courts.
Apart from Salve, solicitor general Ranjit Kumar's name is also doing the rounds.
