Several Supreme Court Lawyers Seek Removal Of SCBA President Over Letter To CJI Against Farmers Protest

Several Supreme Court Bar Association members have sought the removal of Supreme Court Bar Association President Adish Aggarwala over his letter to CJI for suo motu action against “erring farmers” in the wake of the Farmers' Protest.

Nearly 150 Supreme Court lawyers have signed a resolution which calls for a general body meeting of the SCBA to discuss the removal of the SCBA President for writing the letter to the CJI "without having any authority and capacity in the matter and on the letter head of the Supreme Court Bar Association in blatant misuse of his position as President of the Supreme Court Bar Association."

Previously, the majority of the Executive Committee members of the SCBA had disacciated themselves from the SCBA President's letter.

13 out of 21 members of the Executive Committee of the SCBA, have in a resolution, clarified that the SCBA President wrote the letter “unilaterally without any consultation with the members of the Executive Committee.”

Expressing that the controversial letter written on the letterhead of the SCBA gives a wrong impression that it reflects the opinion of the SCBA, the respective executive members have disagreed and dissociated with the contents of the said letter.

“This letter has been issued by the President unilaterally without any consultation with the members of the Executive Committee. The letter written on the Supreme Court Bar Association letterhead gives the incorrect impression that the letter is written on behalf of the Supreme Court Bar Association. We do not agree with the contents of the letter and disassociate ourselves with this letter.”

The SCBA President, in his letter to the CJI, stated that "inspite of the best efforts of the Government of India to protect the interest of the farmers, some farmers are en route to Delhi from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab and are gearing up for a large-scale protest in the national capital on February 13."

"Even if the farmers have genuine demands, they don't have the right to put the general public to hardship. This is the right time when the Hon'ble Supreme Court should act suo motu and ensure that these farmers don't create any nuisance and cause huge inconvenience to the general public," he said.

Suspecting the the farmers' protest to be "politically motivated", SCBA President urged the CJI to take suo motu action against "the erring farmers for forcibly trying to enter Delhi in a bid to create nuisance and disturb the daily life of citizens."