New Delhi, June 12: Attorney General KK Venugopal received a one-year extension ahead of the scheduled end to his tenure this month. The Government of India issued a statement on Friday to announce that Venugopal's tenure as the top legal representative of the Centre will continue till June, 2021. Delhi COVID-19 Situation Horrendous, Horrific, Pathetic: Supreme Court Slams AAP Govt.

Venugopal, who was appointed for a three-year period in 2017, was staring at a likely exit from the Office on June 30 -- when the tenure was scheduled to expire. Considering that he would be a nonagenarian soon, the buzz was that the Law Ministry would look for a replacement.

However, Venugopal's fitness, his acute sharpness even at the super-senior age, combined with the legal experience of over seven decades has likely factored in the Centre's decision to prolong his tenure by another year.

Among cases in which Venugopal is representing the government includes the challenges raised against Article 370 abrogation in the Supreme Court. He was also lauded for his role in representing the Centre during the trial over triple talaq criminalisation case.

While the A-G's tenure has been extended, no announcement has been made so far on the continuation or replacement of Solicitor General. The post is currently held by senior advocate Tushar Mehta.

The incumbent S-G had recently landed in row after he had, during the Supreme Court hearings on migrant crisis, referred to a section of journalists documenting their plight as "vultures". The controversial remarks were made by him during the proceedings on May 28.

Mehta had further called those journalists as "prophets of doom” who “only spread negativity, negativity and negativity”, and are “not showing any courtesy to the nation”.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 12, 2020 05:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).