New Delhi [India], August 20 : Members of different Bar Associations of Delhi on Thursday organised a protest at the Bar Council of India (BCI) office in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of BCI Chairman and Rajya Sabha MP Manan Kumar Mishra.
The protesting lawyers cited several grounds, including Mishra's long tenure as chairman and the alleged absence of advocate welfare schemes such as insurance and the non-implementation of the Advocate Protection Act.
The proposed hike in the registration fee for lawyers at the State Bar Council was also among the issues raised by the protesting lawyers.
Office bearers at the BCI office were approached for their reaction, but no response was received.
Advocate Raman Sharma said the BCI chairman had been holding the post for the last 14 years and alleged that there was not even a single welfare scheme for lawyers to his credit.
"So why is he in the post for the last so many years. Every day, new law colleges are coming up in agricultural fields, and thousands of lawyers are coming out of those colleges. There are no facilities for lawyers," Sharma said.
At the protest site, advocate Umesh Kumar said there was no insurance scheme for lawyers at the national level. He also raised concern over the proposed increase in the fee for enrolment with the State Bar Council to Rs 22,500, saying it was a big amount for a lawyer from a modest financial background.
The lawyers also expressed displeasure over the statement that 40 per cent of lawyers are fake.
Another advocate, Perdeep Nagar, said the BCI had enormous powers and should check the records and degrees of lawyers.
"The BCI Chairman should take a call for the welfare of the legal fraternity. Now he has become the Rajya Sabha MP despite it, issues of advocates are not being addressed," Nagar said.
Some of the lawyers entered the BCI premises after lunch and staged a protest there at around 2 pm. They were demanding to meet BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra.
Other office bearers met the lawyers and held discussions with them. The lawyers continued their protest till late evening.