Washington, Aug 3 (NationPress) Indian-American Mathura Sridharan has been appointed as Ohio's 12th Solicitor General, as announced by the office of Attorney General Dave Yost on the platform X. However, her appointment has sparked controversy, with critics questioning the choice of a 'non-US citizen' for this role. Some even remarked on her bindi, stating, "This one has a perma-dot, huh."

In a post on X, the office of Ohio's Attorney General stated, "AG Yost today appointed Mathura Sridharan as Ohio’s 12th Solicitor General, the state’s chief attorney for appeals in both state and federal courts." In response to this announcement, several social media users criticized her selection. One user commented, "Couldn’t find a citizen and native of the United States for the job?" Another wrote, "Native Ohioans can’t even get jobs with the state. Who is this foreigner?" A different user expressed, "Did Ohio run out of Americans? Nothing says 'Ohioan' like a dot right on the forehead."

In light of the criticisms, Dave Yost defended Sridharan's appointment, highlighting her legal skills and referring to her as "brilliant." He expressed his belief that she will serve Ohio effectively and clarified that Mathura Sridharan is indeed a US citizen.

"Some commenters have wrongly suggested that Mathura is not American. She is a United States citizen, married to a US citizen, and a child of naturalized US citizens. If her name or complexion bothers you, the issue lies not with her but with your perspective," Yost posted on X.

He further stated, "Mathura is brilliant... she successfully argued a case at SCOTUS last year. The two Solicitors General she worked with (Flowers and Gaiser) recommended her. I had told her when I initially hired her that I needed her to challenge my ideas, and she does so consistently! I’m thrilled to promote her. She will serve Ohio well."

Currently, Mathura Sridharan is the Deputy Solicitor General in Ohio's Office of the Solicitor General and leads the state's Tenth Amendment Centre. Before her tenure at the Ohio Solicitor's Office, she clerked for Judge Steven J. Menashi at the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge Deborah A. Batts at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

She earned her Juris Doctor (JD) from New York University School of Law in 2018 and holds a Master's in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She also possesses dual Bachelor's degrees from MIT in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science as well as in Economics.