Bar Council of India (BCI) Co-Chairman and senior advocate YR Sadashiva Reddy has demanded Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra’s resignation, saying “the Bar deserves better.”
Reddy has cited alleged diversion of ₹150 crore in funds, family appointments and the “illegal” action against NALSAR students among the reasons for seeking Mishra’s resignation, Live Law reported.
Reddy, in his letter, said he was writing to Mishra “not as an adversary” but as an elected member of the Bar Council of India and a member of the profession for over three decades.
Deep Dive
Why is there controversy surrounding Manan Kumar Mishra's leadership as BCI Chairman?
What prompted the demand for Manan Mishra's resignation from the Bar Council of India?
How has Manan Kumar Mishra responded to calls for his resignation?
He said remaining silent would amount to “a dereliction of the trust reposed in me by the advocates of this country.”
Reddy said the Bar Council of India is not the “personal estate” of any individual but a statutory body established under the Advocates Act, 1961. H
e said it holds funds contributed by lakhs of advocates and exercises regulatory powers over entry into the legal profession, with its funds and powers meant to serve the Bar rather than the individual occupying the chairman’s post.
'The Bar of this country deserves better'
Reddy has demanded that Mishra resign within 15 days of receiving the letter. He has also sought a special meeting of the BCI to consider the matters raised in the letter, along with a special audit of the accounts of the BCI and BCI Trust PEARL First.
{{/usCountry}}Reddy has demanded that Mishra resign within 15 days of receiving the letter. He has also sought a special meeting of the BCI to consider the matters raised in the letter, along with a special audit of the accounts of the BCI and BCI Trust PEARL First.
{{/usCountry}}He further called for an immediate halt to contributions, donations or payments from law colleges, universities or management by the council or any trust or body connected with it, and sought publication of the complete staff position on the BCI website.
“I hold no personal animosity towards you,” Reddy said, adding that he had served alongside Mishra on the council for a decade. He said 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.”
Manan Mishra says he won't quit, fires at CJP
Manan Mishra on Friday dismissed calls for his resignation, a demand also backed by Abhijeet Dipke's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). His remarks came days after the CJP announced support for a protest at BCI, New Delhi seeking Mishra's resignation and called on “legal cockroaches” to join in.
The Rajya Sabha MP also rejected the use of this term for advocates and said: "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."