Gujarat Bar Council member boycotts event over Amit Shah’s presence, says he ‘insulted Ambedkar’
Chairman of BCG J J Patel accused Paresh Vaghela of attempting to ‘do politics in a non-political event’ of a statutory body.
Written by Parimal A Dabhi
Ahmedabad | Updated: December 20, 2024 10:50 PM IST
3 min read
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Vaghela said, “If you (Shah) insult a person under whose leadership the Constitution was framed and do not apologise for three days, then why should I remain present in a programme having your presence (as chief guest)?”
Taking objection to Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah’s statements on Dr B R Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha earlier this week, a member of the Bar Council of Gujarat (BCG) from Ahmedabad, Paresh Vaghela, has announced he would boycott a public programme of BCG on December 30, where Shah has been invited as Chief Guest.
Vaghela said that he would boycott the programme if Shah did not apologise for his alleged insults of Ambedkar.
The BCG has organised an oath-taking ceremony for the newly enrolled advocates on the state roll of the BCG at Vigyan Bhawan of Science City in Ahmedabad on December 30. In all, 6,000 newly enrolled advocates are set to take the oath.
Speaking with The Indian Express, Vaghela said, “If you (Shah) insult a person under whose leadership the Constitution was framed and do not apologise for three days, then why should I remain present in a programme having your presence (as chief guest)?”
Meanwhile, chairman of BCG J J Patel accused Vaghela of attempting to “do politics in a non-political event” of a statutory body.
“He (Vaghela) is a pure Congressman: an office bearer of the Congress legal cell. Even his wife fought the election of the (municipal) corporation and lost. On the political side, he can do whatever protest he wants, but he should not do it from the platform of BCG. BCG is the parent body of all the lawyers of Gujarat and Amitbhai (Shah) is coming on their request. One should not bring one’s political agenda to this programme. This is a programme of Gujarat’s lawyers. BCG is a non-political statutory body and Amitbhai is the guest of all the lawyers of Gujarat,” said Patel.
To this, however, Vaghela said, “I have announced to boycott the event as a Dalit and an Ambedkarite. It has nothing to do with Congress. I have announced it because my sentiments are hurt (by Shah’s comments).”
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Patel also said that Vaghela was present in all the board meetings of BCG where the decision to hold the programme under Shah’s leadership was taken, alleging that Vaghela had given his consent then.
He added that the BCG is going to hold the programme with full strength with the presence of a “record number” of lawyers in it. Representatives of all bar associations, the entire team of the Bar Council of India and the chairmen/vice-chairmen of all state bar councils are also expected to come for the event.
Apart from Shah, the function is expected to be attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, state law minister Rushikesh Patel, Chairman of Bar Council of India Manan Kumar Mishra, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, and Advocate General of Gujarat Kamal Trivedi.
Amit Shah made the alleged objectionable comments while replying to the two-day debate in Rajya Sabha on the “Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India on Tuesday.
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As the Opposition took objection to Shah’s statements while terming it as Ambedkar’s insult, Shah had addressed a press conference and accused the Congress of spreading disinformation against him.
Parimal A Dabhi works with The Indian Express as Chief of Bureau, focusing on the state of Gujarat. Leveraging his seniority and access, Dabhi is recognized for his reporting on the complex interplay of law, politics, social justice, and governance within the region.
Expertise & Authority
Core Authority (Social Justice and Law): Dabhi is a key source for in-depth coverage of caste-based violence, discrimination, and the state's response to social movements, particularly those involving Patidar, Dalit and OBC communities. His reporting focuses on the societal and legal fallout of these issues:
Caste and Discrimination: He has reported extensively on social boycotts and instances of violence against Dalits (such as the attack on a Dalit wedding party in Patan), the community's demands (like refusing to pick carcasses), and the political responses from leaders like Jignesh Mevani.
Judicial and Legal Affairs: He tracks significant, high-stakes legal cases and judgments that set precedents in Gujarat, including the convictions under the stringent Gujarat Animal Preservation Act (cow slaughter), 2002 Gujarat riots and developments in cases involving former police officers facing charges of wrongful confinement and fake encounters.
Political and Administrative Oversight: Dabhi provides essential coverage of the inner workings of the state government and the opposition, ensuring a high degree of Trustworthiness in political analysis:
State Assembly Proceedings: He frequently reports directly from the Gujarat Assembly, covering Question Hour, discussion on various Bills, debates on budgetary demands for departments like Social Justice, and ministerial statements on issues like illegal mining, job quotas for locals, and satellite-based farm loss surveys.
Electoral Politics: His work details key political developments, including election analysis (voter turnout records), party organizational changes (like the end of C R Patil’s tenure as BJP chief), and campaign dynamics. ... Read More
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