Justice (Rtd) R A Mehta, who was appointed Lokayukta of Gujarat, on 7 August refused to take charge of the post in the state. The decision comes as a major embarrassment for the Gujarat government who had challenged his appointment in the Supreme Court after the Gujarat High Court had upheld the decision.Backing his decision, the Congress blamed the attitude of the Gujarat government. Party spokesperson Manish Tewari said, “The attitude of the Gujarat government is such that he (Justice Mehta) won’t be able to function.”
As per reports, Justice Mehta had declined the offer as the Gujarat government always questioned his capabilities. In a letter to Governor KamlaBeniwal and Chief Justice of the High Court, Justice Mehta has cited seven reasons which “confirmed his belief that he could not persuade himself to accept the office of Lokayukta”.Indirectly blaming the Narendra Modi government for his decision, Mehta said that the consistent legal battle by challenging his appointment as anti-corruption watchdog was the reason for declining the post.