Lawyers’ stir against on CPC row

Following the demonstrations, the gathering raised slogans like “Ram Jethmalani hai hai” as they proceeded from Hutatma Chowk to the Bombay High Court. The demonstrating lawyers also condemned the advocates who refused to abstain from work today. They will now address a letter of protest to the Union law Ministry and wait for its response before they decide on their future course of action.

“The Bar Council of India had expressed its views on each of these amendments. They were in fact conveyed to Parliament when Ramakant Khalap was law minister. He agreed with our stand and promised to not implement the amendments. The present law minister, however, only changed the number of the bill and got it passed in a hurry in a day along with 31 other bills,” Dilip Bhosale, member of the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa said while addressing the demonstration. “We had a meeting with Ram Jethmalani on February 4, when he tried to justify the amendments. He told representatives of the bar council that the Law Commission had been consulted and that its views were considered. But to our surprise, the chairperson of the Law Commission told us that its views were not considered at all. Jethmalani is making misleading statements,” Bhosale said.

The law minister found a lot of bitter critics at the chowk today. “Jethmalani should surrender his sanad and the prime minister should drop him from the Cabinet,” M Holmagi, member of the Bar Association of Bombay City, Civil and Sessions Court said.

Senior advocate M P Vashi condemned the lawyers who refused to abstain from work today. “When about five lakh advocates have decided to abstain from work for a genuine cause some of the lawyers have decided to work today. They are more concerned about their daily earnings rather than public interest,” he said in his address.