The contentious issue of permanent Benches of the Odisha High Court elsewhere in the State is getting murkier day-by-day as the Cuttack lawyers are able to muster more and more support for their protest against such Benches.
After eliciting support from Peace Committees, Puja Committees and Chamber of Commerce here, the lawyers of Cuttack on Monday got yet another shot in their arms when local leaders from various political parties, including the ruling BJD, expressed their support to the protest by the lawyers against the State Government’s initiative to have HC permanent Benches in western and southern Odisha.
leaders of the BJD, Congress and BJP attended a general body meeting of the HC lawyers and condemned the Government’s move to belittle the importance of this Millennium city by suggesting HC Benches elsewhere. Many leaders in unequivocal terms demanded that the Chief Minister immediately recall his letter to the Centre.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has on September 28 written a letter to Union law Minister Kapil Sibal for taking appropriate steps to set up two permanent HC Benches anywhere in southern and western Odisha. Since then, the HC lawyers here have been protesting it by boycotting court activities.
While 14 different bars functioning from Cuttack city itself have joined the HC lawyers, 80 other bars from 18 districts too have thrown their weight behind the cause. likewise, the strong and organised Peace Committees and Puja Committees of Cuttack too have expressed their solidarity with the HC lawyers.
However, the icing on the cake came on Monday when Cuttack BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, local BJD MlA Debashis Samantray, Banki BJD MlA Pravat Tripathy and other BJD leaders including Cuttack Mayor SK Ghosh and Congress leaders Suresh Mohapatra and Md Moquim and BJP leader Samir Dey attended the HC Bar Association meeting and supported the lawyers’ concerns.
Carefully choosing his words, Mahtab said the State Government’s recommendation of HC Benches should have come after taking considerate views of the State’s Governor, the Chief Justice of the High Court and the Chief Minister himself. “Following which, a Bill would be moved in the Parliament and then it would be sent to the President for setting up Benches of the HC,” Mahtab said, expressing doubt whether the entire exercise would see the light of the day.
Similarly, the Congress and BJP leaders were highly critical about the Chief Minister’s letter and demanded that it be recalled as it is highly contemptuous as it has cast aspersions on the functioning of the High Court.
Meanwhile, the HC Bar Association decided to continue its cease-work stir till October 9, just the day before the beginning of the 10-day Puja vacation of the High Court. “The general body will meet again on October 9 to chalk out its further course of action,” informed association secretary Janmejaya Katakia.