Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the highlighted words in the given sentence.
Despite his elaborate justifications, the lawyer's argument was ultimately dismissed as an attempt to deceive people by using clever but misleading reasoning.

Correct option is C

The correct option is (C).

Explanation: The correct substitution of the highlighted words is a red herring. In a legal or argumentative context, a 'red herring' refers to a piece of information or reasoning that is intended to be misleading or distracting from the actual issue at hand. It represents the use of clever but irrelevant points to divert attention. (भटकाने वाला तथ्य)
Grammatical rule used: This question involves the substitution of a descriptive phrase with an appropriate idiomatic expression that captures the specific meaning of "clever but misleading reasoning".
Example: The politician brought up the tax issue as a red herring to avoid talking about his failed environmental policies.

Information Booster: Idioms like 'red herring' are often used in logic and rhetoric to describe informal fallacies where the speaker introduces an irrelevant topic to lead the discussion away from the original subject.

So the correct answer is (c)