Lawyers Protest Minister’s Visit, Scuffle With Police In Sambalpur

Sambalpur: Opposing the visit of Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera, members of the Sambalpur Bar Association scuffled with the police on Saturday.

According to sources, the Sambalpur Bar Association had decided not to allow Union ministers, chief minister and other state ministers into the city due to non-fulfilment of its long-standing demand for setting up a High Court bench in the western Odisha.

After coming to know about the scheduled visit of the Finance Minister to attend the foundation day of the Gangadhar Meher University, the lawyers took out a protest rally to the varsity holding black flags.

As the police tried to stop them, a scuffle ensued. Later, over 150 lawyers were detained under preventive arrest.

The association members alleged that the state government is not keen on putting pressure on the Centre for setting up a HC bench in western Odisha, and its attitude on this issue is the same as that of Mahanadi water dispute.

“The state government has remained silent after sending two letters to the Centre. Besides, Sambalpur Bar Association had staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi recently in this connection. But the Centre is yet to take any action,” said the aggrieved lawyers.