Bar Council of India (BCI) Co-Chairman and senior advocate YR Sadashiva Reddy has sought Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra’s resignation, saying the legal profession “deserves better”. Reddy has raised several concerns, including alleged diversion of Rs 150 crore in funds, family appointments and the action taken against NALSAR students.
Reddy seeks Mishra’s resignation
In a letter to Mishra, Reddy said he was making the demand as an elected member of the BCI and a member of the legal profession for more than three decades. He said remaining silent would amount to “a dereliction of the trust reposed in me by the advocates of this country".
Reddy also stressed that the BCI was not the “personal estate” of any individual. He said it is a statutory body established under the Advocates Act, 1961, and manages funds contributed by lawyers while exercising regulatory powers over the legal profession.
According to Reddy, the council’s resources and authority should serve the Bar rather than an individual holding the chairman’s post.
‘The Bar of this country deserves better’
Reddy has given Mishra 15 days from the receipt of the letter to step down. He has also sought a special BCI meeting to consider the issues raised.
Among his other demands are a special audit of the accounts of the BCI and BCI Trust PEARL First, an immediate halt to contributions, donations or payments from law colleges and universities by the council or related trusts or bodies, and publication of the complete staff position on the BCI website.
“I hold no personal animosity towards you,” Reddy said, noting that he had worked alongside Mishra on the council for a decade.
He further alleged that the institution “will not recover while you remain in the Chair” and concluded: “The Bar of this country deserves better than what it is presently receiving from its own Council. I ask you to allow it that opportunity.”
Mishra rejects resignation demand
Mishra, however, has rejected the calls for his resignation and said he would not step down. The demand has also received backing from Abhijeet Dipke's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which announced support for a proposed protest outside the BCI in New Delhi.
The controversy also involves the use of the term “legal cockroaches” for advocates.
Mishra strongly objected to the phrase, saying: "Don't you dare use the term "legal cockroaches" ever again. I am telling you this. A lawyer cannot be a cockroach. Lawyers belong to a respected class; they are a highly intelligent group."