Bengaluru: With senior counsel Fali S Nariman informing the Supreme Court that he will not make any submission on behalf of Karnataka on the Cauvery case, the state government is scouting for senior counsel to represent it.
The Congress leadership is said to have suggested to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to engage senior counsel Kapil Sibal or Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Some leaders also favoured senior counsel Ram Jethmalani. The chief minister has been discussing the matter with senior Congress leaders as well as his ministerial colleagues. Sibal has emerged the top contender, a source told DH.
Nariman told the Supreme Court he will no more argue on behalf of Karnataka since the state has not complied with the court’s order. The source said that with Karnataka sticking to its stand of not releasing water to Tamil Nadu, the government must hire a top legal mind to defend its case. Karnataka will engage the new counsel to present its case in the fresh petition it filed before the Supreme Court on Saturday seeking review of three previous orders.
Inputs from Deccan Herald
