Tamil Nadu’s Advocate General R Shunmugasundaram has announced his resignation from the esteemed position, citing personal reasons. The announcement came on Wednesday morning via a WhatsApp message to his colleagues in the legal community.
Shunmugasundaram, who plans to return to private practice, intends to personally submit his resignation to Chief Minister MK Stalin.
In his message, Shunmugasundaram expressed gratitude for the support and cooperation he received, stating, “Friends, Good morning; Thank you for your love, good wishes and co-operation. I have decided to resign and be back in private practice. I am happy to share this decision with you.”
Shunmugasundaram, a former Rajya Sabha Member, was appointed as the Advocate General in 2021 following DMK’s return to power. During his tenure, he handled several high-stakes government cases. These included the contentious 10.5% internal reservation for the Vanniyar community within the MBC quota, the 7.5% reservation for government school students in NEET admissions, and litigation challenging the Tamil Nadu government’s legislation against online gambling and regulation of online games.
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In 2002, Shunmugasundaram had previously offered to resign from the position but retracted his decision upon Chief Minister MK Stalin’s request to continue. He faced considerable pressure to secure favorable outcomes in high-profile cases.
Shunmugasundaram’s career has seen its share of challenges. He was attacked by a gang to prevent his appearance in the TANSI land case against the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, resulting in serious injuries and hospitalization.
DMK party appointed him as a Rajya Sabha Member, a position he held from 2002 to 2008. In 2000, he was designated as a senior counsel.
