BCI to take action against guilty lawyers

Apologising for the violence in the court premises on Wednesday which had occurred for a second time in a row ahead of the hearing of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar’s sedition case, BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said names of the bar members, if found guilty of indulging in this violence, would be removed from the roll. 

“I seek apology from media persons and that boy Kanhaiya Kumar for such mishappenings and misconduct. Strong action will be taken against lawyers, if found guilty of indulging in violence at Patiala House Court. The action includes suspension of their licence for their entire life. Therefore, we can remove name of any of the advocates from the roll of Bar Council for whole life,” Mishra said. 

The apex law body has set up a three-member committee, headed by a former High Court judge, to probe the incidents of February 15 and 17 at the Patiala Court where a group of lawyers attacked Kanhaiya and thrashed students, media persons as well as a team of senior advocates constituted by the Supreme Court which had gone there to take a stock of the situation. 

The men dressed in lawyers’ robes had allegedly thrown sharp-edged objects at the team of senior lawyers and hurled abuses and expletives at them.   

There should be no Taliban culture in India and the law should be allowed to take its course, say ABVP office-bearers who have resigned from the party in protest against the Centre’s handling of the raging row at JNU and “legitimising” actions of right wing fascist forces. 

“JNU is the most nationalist institution in the country. I do not support the government’s stand over the issue. Let Supreme Court find Kanhaiya guilty and award him life imprisonment. But let the law take its course. There should be no ‘Taliban culture’ in India,” said Pradeep Narwal, former Joint Secretary of JNU unit of ABVP.

Pradeep Narwal, Joint Secretary of JNU unit of ABVP, Rahul Yadav, President of ABVP unit of JNU’s School of Social Sciences (SSS) and its Secretary Ankit Hans, had on Wednesday resigned from the BJP student wing, saying they “cannot be mouthpiece of such a government which has unleashed oppression on student community”. “We are going to fight for JNU. If law finds Kanhaiya guilty, let him be punished. If Umar Khalid is guilty he should be jailed. But do not attack the entire university, students and teachers. Let there be space for voices of dissent,” he added.