BJP MP Raises Orissa HC Bench Issue In LS, Seeks Law Minister’s Intervention

Bhubaneswar: Bargarh MP of BJP Suresh Pujari on Thursday sought the intervention of Union Law Minister to restore normalcy in western Odisha where an unusual situation has cropped up due to the agitation of the lawyers demanding permanent bench of the High Court.

Raising the issue in Lok Sabha during the winter session of the Parliament, the MP said several lawyers have been arrested and the licence of the members of the bar association suspended due to the violence during the agitation in Sambalpur on Monday. Till Thursday, at least 32 persons including 23 lawyers have been arrested in connection with the arson during the agitation, he added.

Stating that the agitation by the lawyers and their arrest would paralyse the functioning of different courts and affect the interests of the litigants, Pujari requested Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju to intervene in the matter.

Earlier in the day, the BJP leader held the state government responsible for the present situation for its silence on the issue of setting up the High Court bench in western Odisha.

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.”

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