NEW DELHI: After successfully mounting pressure over its demand for the resignation of former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has now backed a protest seeking accountability from Bar Council of India (BCI) chairman Manan Kumar Mishra.The protest, called by the All India Young Advocates Association (AIYAA) for Thursday, comes amid a controversy over a now-withdrawn BCI directive concerning graduating students of NALSAR University of Law.CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has invited lawyers to join the demonstration, while the party’s leaders have backed the demand for Mishra’s resignation.Why are lawyers protesting against Manan Kumar Mishra?The controversy began after some NALSAR students wrote to the university’s vice chancellor, registrar and professors opposing a proposal to invite Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as the chief guest at the university’s convocation.Following the development, the BCI initially directed state bar councils not to enrol students from NALSAR’s current graduating batch as advocates.Mishra said the council was examining allegations surrounding a campaign against the CJI’s participation in the convocation and had sought a report identifying those allegedly responsible.The directive, however, was withdrawn within hours after drawing criticism from members of the legal fraternity.A subsequent modified order clarified that the “vast majority” of students were innocent and should not be made to suffer for the alleged misconduct of a few.CJP backs protest, calls for Mishra’s resignationCJP founder Abhijeet Dipke also urged lawyers to participate in Thursday’s demonstration. Sharing a post on X, Dipke wrote: “Manan, it’s done bro! All legal cockroaches must join this protest.”CJP national spokesperson Saurav Das said on X that “legal cockroaches” would come together to protest against Mishra and demand his resignation. The demonstration is scheduled for 10am.“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,” Das wrote.CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh also backed the demonstration, saying “legal cockroaches are coming together tomorrow to demand accountability from the BCI Chairman.”“In a democracy, every form of peaceful protest is legitimate and welcome. The legal fraternity must recognise that every voice matters and that demanding answers and accountability is not only our right, but our responsibility,” Singh wrote on X.Mishra apologises amid controversyThe protest comes days after Mishra apologised to law students over the controversial BCI order concerning NALSAR’s graduating students.In a statement issued on Independence Day, Mishra expressed regret if any of his words or communication had hurt students’ feelings.“If anything connected with the present controversy, any of my words, or letter, has hurt the feelings of our law students, I sincerely regret and apologise for the same,” Mishra had said.CJI Surya Kant criticises BCI actionThe BCI’s initial action also drew criticism from Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who later described the matter as a “dialogue between students and me”.The NALSAR Student Bar Council subsequently sought a public apology from Mishra.Graduating students, current students and alumni of NLSIU, Bengaluru, also issued a joint statement seeking an apology and opposing the presence of the BCI chairman and the CJI at their convocation.What did Mishra say in his defence?In his Independence Day statement, Mishra said students of National Law Universities were among the country’s most informed and discerning young citizens and that their views could carry significance beyond individual controversies.He maintained that peaceful protest and disagreement were part of a constitutional democracy, while urging students to reconsider their position if further facts or clarifications emerged.Mishra also said attending or abstaining from a convocation was ultimately a student’s choice and appealed against giving the controversy a “political or extraneous colour through outside influence”.What is CJP demanding?The AIYAA’s proposed protest has brought the demand for Mishra’s resignation into sharper focus. Das also claimed that the Bombay Bar Association had called for his resignation.The demonstration is expected to focus on accountability over the BCI’s handling of the NALSAR controversy, with CJP leaders backing the call for a peaceful protest and demanding higher standards of conduct from the BCI chairman.(With agency inputs)
