NLSIU Protests: BCI writes to CJI Gogoi calling for action against protesting students

Even as students of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU Bangalore) continue to hold protests on campus, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has written to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi calling for action against the protesting students.

In a letter addressed to CJI Gogoi by BCI Co-Chairman Ved Prakash Sharma, attention is drawn to the “unruly elements” who have forced a boycott of classes at the “most outstanding legal education centre of the country and the world”. The BCI has also come out in defence of NLSIU Registrar Prof OV Nandimath.

“The students body is indulging in acts of misdemeanor and indiscipline which is bringing down the image of the institution in the estimation of one and all. The students body is crossing its limit by trying to question the functioning of the Executive Council and accusing the Registrar by imputing motives on him…”

Protests against the non-appointment of Prof Sudhir Krishnaswamy as the new Vice-Chancellor of NLSIU began on Friday, when students decided to boycott classes and sit outside Registrar Nandimath’s office. The sit-in protest was held in light of information that there was likely to be a change in the composition of the Executive Council (EC) of NLSIU, which would in turn have a bearing on the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor.

The Student Bar Association (SBA) had earlier alleged that the Registrar was responsible for the delay of Prof Krishnaswamy’s appointment.

Yesterday, the student body resolved to boycott examinations at the University, which were scheduled to begin today.

The BCI letter goes on to note that the sub-committee of the EC had approved the appointment of Prof Krishnaswamy, and that the formal decision to appoint him would be taken at the next EC meeting, scheduled for September 28.

Thus, the letter states, there was no reason for the students to “make it a controversial issue”. Taking issue with the “reprehensible move to disturb and destroy the peace” at NLSIU, the letter further states that the student body is not a stakeholder in process of appointment of the VC or any other faculty member.

Quite interestingly, the letter states that the role of Prof Krishnaswamy behind the present agitation cannot be ruled out.  In this light, the letter states,

“To restore discipline in the campus, the decision to appoint him (Prof Krishnaswamy) Vice-Chancellor should be reviewed by the EC and suitable action taken against the students responsible for creating the present situation in the NLSIU campus.

It’s high time NLSIU is insulated from elements that pose a danger to the smooth functioning of the best law school built by decades of hard toil by most reputed legal luminaries of the country.”

Sharma ends with a request to CJI Gogoi to include this letter on the agenda for the next EC meeting.

Read the letter: