MUMBAI, January 12: The state government's Additional Advocate General Bal Apte has resigned his post for ``personal reasons.'' Apte took charge of the office on August 9, 1996 and resigned on December 31, 1998. Like the resignations of High Court and Supreme Court judges, the resignation of the Additional Advocate General becomes effective from the date of forwarding it. There is no provision for non-acceptance of the resignation.Apte has been a lawyer for over 30 years. His resignation has given rise to much debate in legal circles, especially since it was a sudden development in the year-end vacation. Political theories are also floating in the air. It is believed that Apte was unhappy with the slow working style of the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government. Since Apte is an active member of the BJP and its student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), insiders have connected his resignation with the strained relations between the Sena and BJP. However, Apte said none of the theoriesdoing the rounds was true. ``I just thought it was enough and felt like continuing as an independent lawyer. I have nothing to comment on the various interpretations of my resignation in the media,'' he said.
