Agitating Lawyers Give Western Odisha Bandh Call On Feb 5

Balangir: The Western Odisha Lawyers’ Association on Thursday gave a call for Western Odisha bandh on February 5.

A decision was taken at a meeting of the Western Odisha All Bar Association here this afternoon.

Talking to the media, president of the Sambalpur Bar Association Bijitendriya Pradhan said the Odisha State Bar Council has recommended the Bar Council of India (BCI) to take action against the lawyers of 17 bar associations and the Central Action Committee, which has been demanding a permanent High Court bench in Western Odisha.

“We have been urging the state government to take necessary steps for a permanent High Court bench in Western Odisha. Instead of considering our demand, the state government, through the Odisha State Bar Council is trying to put pressure on us to withdraw the agitation and has threatened to cancel our license. Let the state government decide the location of the High Court bench in Western Odisha,” Pradhan said.

Taking a swipe at the Centre and the state for their ‘divide and rule’ policy, Pradhan said that the recommendation of the Odisha State Bar Council to the BCI to cancel the license of the lawyers will have no effect on them.

“If the BCI cancels the license of a lawyer, all lawyers of Western Odisha will surrender their license. The lawyers of Western Odisha are strongly united,” Pradhan maintained.

In a letter to the BCI, the Odisha State Bar Council had said “Despite the directive of Supreme Court and requests of Bar Council of India and Odisha State Bar Council, the members of the bar associations in Western Odisha have been agitating. In this context, we are proposing to the Bar Council of India to take disciplinary action against the members of these bar associations. Besides, we have recommended action against the members of the Central Action Committee.”