Guwahati: In a significant development, Advocate General of Assam, Devajit Lon Saikia, has tendered his resignation from the Gauhati High Court Bar Association, citing a conflict of interest stemming from his official stance on the proposed transfer of the High Court.

Saikia reported submitted his resignation letter to Bar Association President Kamal Nayan Chaudhary on Thursday.

In his letter, Saikia articulated that his role as Advocate General obliges him to align with the state government’s policy favouring the transfer of the Guwahati High Court from its current location in the heart of Guwahati to a proposed new site in Rangmahal, North Guwahati.

The government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has pushed this initiative since 2023, arguing that the move would alleviate traffic congestion, provide modern infrastructure, and enhance judicial efficiency.

The plan, however, has met with stiff resistance from the legal fraternity, including the Gauhati High Court Bar Association, which contends that relocating the court would disrupt access to justice, inconvenience lawyers and litigants, and sever the court’s historical ties to the city.

“As Advocate General, I am obliged to be in favour of the government’s policy on the transfer of the Guwahati High Court,” Saikia wrote.

Saikia, a senior advocate with over three decades of legal practice, was appointed Advocate General of Assam in 2021.