Guwahati: Several Supreme Court advocates on Thursday assembled on the Supreme Court lawns to recite the Preamble to the Constitution as part of the “Save Democracy, Save Constitution” campaign, expressing solidarity with student protesters and condemning the recent police crackdown on demonstrations in the national capital.
The gathering, held during the court’s lunch recess, was led by senior advocates Indira Jaising and Justice (Retd.) S. Muralidhar. Supreme Court Bar Association president Vikas Singh was also present.
Among those who participated were senior advocates Anand Grover, Anjana Prakash, Sanjay Ghose, Shadan Farasat, Arundhati Katju, Mahalakshmi Pavani, Nandita Rao, P.V. Surendranath, Manali Singhal, Sangeetha Bharti, P.V. Dinesh, Jayant Thakur and advocate Vrinda Grover, along with several other members of the Bar.
The event witnessed a significant turnout of young lawyers, many of whom carried copies of the Constitution and the national flag while collectively reciting the Preamble, reaffirming the constitutional values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.
Addressing the media, Jaising said the legal fraternity had gathered to stand with the protesting students.
“We are here to stand with the students. We are here to stand on the side of justice. We are here to demand justice for the students. We are not here to agitate for ourselves. This is not about us. This concerns the rights of students, and it is the duty of lawyers to stand before the Supreme Court and demand justice for them. The role and function of the Supreme Court of India is to dispense justice. That is why we are here, in the temple of justice, with our demands,” she said.
The event came days after Delhi Police used force against protesters during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led march to Parliament seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over repeated examination paper leaks.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) and more than 650 lawyers have separately condemned the police action and sought an independent and impartial investigation.
In a resolution, the SCBA described the use of force against peaceful students and members of the Bar as “deeply disturbing and wholly unacceptable in a democratic society”. It called for an immediate, impartial and time-bound inquiry into the incident and action against those responsible for the alleged excessive use of force.
The developments coincided with proceedings in the Delhi High Court, which has sought responses from the Centre and Delhi Police on petitions alleging excessive use of force during the protest march. The Supreme Court, however, declined an urgent hearing on a plea challenging the police action.