BJP Holds Odisha Govt Responsible For Violence During Lawyers’ Stir Over HC Bench Demand

New Delhi: Holding the Odisha government responsible for violence during lawyer’s protest in Sambalpur, BJP on Friday sought Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s intervention for resolving the issue and restoring normaly in court works.

Addressing a press meet in New Delhi, senior BJP leader and MP Suresh Pujari alleged that violence erupted during protest by lawyers demanding establishment of a High Court bench in Sambalpur because of silence on the part of the state government.

“Had the state government taken timely action instead of remaining silent over the issue, such unpleasant incident could have been prevented. It is the state government which is responsible for the violence,” he claimed.

Stating that several lawyers have been arrested and licence of many have been cancelled following the incident in Sambalpur on Monday, the BJP leader said advocates will be unable to help in the court works in view of the present situation. He wondered as to how court works will be undertaken under the existing situation.

Seeking the intervention of the Chief Minister in order to resolve the row, Pujari said a memorandum has been given to Naveen in this connection so that normalcy in court works is restored.

Demanding immediate steps to stop arrest of lawyers, the Lok Sabha member said, “we want the Chief Minister to intervene and take quick measures to resolve the row and restore normalcy.”

Coming down heavily on the Chief Minister, Pujari said if Naveen had replied the letter of the Union Law Minister and submitted a detailed proposal for HC bench after discussing with the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court and the Governor, such a situation would not have happened.

The previous law ministers had also sought a detailed report from the Chief Minister, but he failed to respond.

The Chief Minister, who is in charge of the Home department, should explain as to why the intelligence failed and why 17 platoon police force deployed at the protest site failed to tackle the situation, he said.

In a crackdown on agitating lawyers, police have arrested at least 25 advocates for alleged vandalism of the chamber of a district judge during Monday’s ‘ Satyagarh’ over the demand for the establishment of a permanent High Court bench in Sambalpur district.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) also acted tough and suspended the practice licence of at least 43 lawyers, who had allegedly resorted to violence during the agitation, for a period of 18 months.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court asked the Central Action Committee of the Bar Associations to withdraw the strike unconditionally. The court made it abundantly clear that there is no requirement for creating new benches in a day and age when the use of technology, such as virtual courts and e-filing, is so widespread.

The police action came after after the Supreme Court on Monday rapped DGP Odisha and Sambalpur IG of Police for failing to handle lawyers’ strikes in the state.