161 members of the Bar Association have demanded the removal of the SCBA President due to his stance on the farmers’ protest. They argue that his call for action against the farmers exceeds his authority and constitutes a misuse of his position. The President’s letter urging the Supreme Court to take action against the protesting farmers has sparked controversy, leading to calls for his removal.
In the ongoing farmers’ protest in Delhi, 161 members signed a resolution calling for a general body meeting to address the potential removal of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Adish C. Aggarwala. Aggarwala’s letter urges the apex court to take suo motu action against the protesting farmers.
According to the members, Aggarwala’s intervention lacks appropriate authority, and his use of the SCBA letter represents a “blatant misuse of his position” The resolution emphatically calls for an urgent general body meeting to discuss Aggarwala’s removal from the SCBA presidency.
After Aggarwala’s letter to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, wherein he urged for proactive measures against the protesting farmers,. He cited previous protests in 2021 and 2022, asserting that they caused chaos, particularly for individuals seeking medical treatment in Delhi.
Aggarwala, accusing the farmers of running a political protest, said that even if their demands are genuine, “they don’t have the right to put the general public to hardship.”. The suo motu action would ensure that these farmers don’t cause any nuisance or inconvenience to the general public.
Aggarwala further argued that the farmers’ refusal to accept government proposals is adversely affecting regions beyond Delhi, including Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh. He suggested that the farmers redirect their protests to their respective hometowns to alleviate the burden on the capital.
The protesting farmers, however, continue their march to Delhi, pressurizing the Centre to address various demands, including a legal assurance on the minimum support price for crops, the implementation of the Swaminathan Committee report, and agricultural loan waivers.
The members stated that Aggarwala does not have any capacity or authority in the matter and to write such a letter using the letterhead of the SCBA is a “blatant misuse of his position”. “We, the (following) members of the Supreme Court Bar Association, call upon the Executive of the SCBA to call an urgent general body meeting of the SCBA seeking removal of Mr Adish C Aggarwala from the post of the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association,”
the resolution stated.
By not accepting the government’s solution, the farmers are causing problems to the people of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, stated Aggarwala in his letter, adding that farmers should “protest in their native places”.
