Calls for CJI Surya Kant’s resignation have drawn separate condemnation from the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association, both of which say such statements undermine the dignity of the office and the independence of the judiciary.
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New Delhi: In separate resolutions issued on October 12, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) condemned statements seeking the resignation of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, which have been circulating on social media and in the public domain.
Honorary Secretary Pragya Baghel signed the SCBA resolution, and Honorary Secretary Yugandhara Pawar Jha signed the SCAORA resolution. Neither resolution names any individual or political party as the source of the calls.
SCAORA: grievances belong in legal channels
For SCAORA, the judiciary is a constitutional institution, and grievances about its functioning should be raised through legal and constitutional channels. It added that it expects the independence of the judiciary to be respected.
“Public statements seeking the resignation of the head of the judiciary risk undermining the dignity of the office.”
“The judicial process must be allowed to function independently, without pressure or interference.”
SCBA: dignity and decorum of the Court
The SCBA said every person is free to approach the courts for remedies available in law, and urged members and others to maintain the dignity and decorum of the Supreme Court. In its view, statements seeking the Chief Justice’s resignation amount to an attempt to interfere with the administration of justice.
“Statements of this nature belittle the institution of the judiciary.”
Why the development matters
The two resolutions come amid ongoing public debate over the Delhi protests and the Supreme Court’s handling of related petitions. The bar bodies’ statements record their position on the institution of the Chief Justice; they do not address the merits of any political contention, and the resolutions identify no one as having made the calls. Those who have raised concerns about the court’s functioning have not been heard in these resolutions.
Statements: Resolutions of the Supreme Court Bar Association (Honorary Secretary Pragya Baghel) and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (Honorary Secretary Yugandhara Pawar Jha)
Date: October 12, 2026