Home » Nation and Beyond » Lawyers protest outside BCI office demanding Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra’s resignation
A group of lawyers protested outside the Bar Council of India (BCI) office on August 20, calling for the resignation of BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra amid the controversy surrounding NALSAR students. The demonstration was organised by the All India Young Advocates Association and supported by the Cockroach Janta Party. Authorities deployed heavy police presence near the BCI office during the protest, where participants raised slogans and held placards demanding accountability and Mishra’s resignation.
The dispute began on August 13 when the BCI directed State Bar Councils to withhold enrolment for the 2026 graduating batch of Hyderabad’s NALSAR University, following a student campaign related to recent judicial developments and the invitation extended to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant for the convocation. Facing criticism, the BCI later withdrew this directive, clarifying that most students were innocent.
CJI Surya Kant described the BCI’s order as “absolutely unnecessary” and affirmed the students’ right to protest, forbidding punitive actions against NALSAR students or faculty. The incident also prompted questions about the BCI’s authority to enforce a blanket enrolment freeze on an entire graduating class.
Advocate Raman Sharma, one of the protestors, emphasised that the protest was driven by the legal fraternity, despite support from the Cockroach Janta Party. He stated, “It is fine if the Cockroach Janta Party has supported us—that is well and good… our own fraternity certainly should have thought about it. However, this is strictly a movement by advocates against our own apex body to address the shortcomings within the organisation and press for our legitimate demands.”
Sharma criticised Chairman Mishra’s long tenure, saying, “The Chairman has held his position for 14 years; what has he actually done for the legal fraternity… The All India Young Lawyers Association are demanding the BCI Chairman’s resignation. We are making the same demand.”
Another protester, Advocate Umesh Kumar, held the Constitution and questioned Mishra’s record on lawyer welfare, highlighting the frequent attacks on legal professionals. He accused Mishra of focusing on “political agendas” while neglecting issues related to lawyers. Kumar said, “Name one thing the BCI Chairman has done for the welfare of law students or lawyers… Lawyers are attacked daily and are being murdered inside police stations. Recently, a senior lawyer died in Hyderabad. Did he issue any official statement regarding that? He remains silent when it comes to our welfare, yet he is always at the forefront of advancing political agendas—often misusing official BCI letters to do so.”
Kumar outlined the protest’s core demands as addressing structural issues within the legal profession, including lawyer welfare, the Advocates Act, stipends, chambers, the wellbeing of practitioners, and stricter oversight of law colleges, especially concerning fake institutions and degrees. He noted claims that 35 to 40 per cent of those practising law might be impostors.
The day before the protest, Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson Saurav Das expressed support for a peaceful demonstration demanding accountability. He cited that the prestigious Bombay Bar Association had also called for Mishra’s resignation. Das said on X, “It seems the Legal Cockroaches have united and will be protesting against the Chairman of the Bar Council of India tomorrow at 10 AM and demanding his resignation. The protest has been called by the All India Young Advocates Association. I support any form of peaceful protest that seeks accountability and sets high standards for conduct in office. The prestigious Bombay Bar Association too has called for Manan Kumar Mishra’s resignation today.”
Manan Kumar Mishra had earlier apologised to law students if any of his words or letters connected with the recent controversy caused offence, and urged them to independently assess the matter and decide whether to participate in their convocation.
This story is written by TNM Bureau with inputs from ANI. The News Mill is a Guwahati-based digital media with focus on content from across Northeast India and beyond. We can be reached through [email protected]