Bengaluru, 26 June

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday issued a strong directive to the State's Additional Advocate Generals (AAGs), urging them to perform effectively or face replacement. The warning came during a review meeting at Vidhana Soudha to assess the AAGs’ performance in representing the government in courts.

To strengthen legal representation, the number of AAGs has been increased. He reminded them that upholding and defending Karnataka’s laws is their key responsibility, and negligence would not be tolerated.

He expressed concern over setbacks in several cases due to poor courtroom arguments, questioning why favourable verdicts are lacking even in meritorious cases. He also highlighted the growing number of injunctions against the government, many of which remain unvacated for years. Swift legal action was urged to resolve such issues.

Siddaramaiah warned that even small lapses were leading to embarrassment for the government. “Perform effectively or be replaced — this is non-negotiable,” he said.

He directed AAGs to come fully prepared to court, approach every case with diligence, and escalate non-cooperation by departments to the Chief Secretary. Each AAG will now be assigned department-specific responsibilities.

Of 21,799 government cases pending in the High Court, no action has been taken in 5,016. Immediate resolution is required.