Advocates in Karnataka were striking today, after the Advocates Association Bangalore called for a strike to defend “prominent Judges of Karnataka” from “irresponsible and publicity hungry persons unreasonably and unjustifiably attacking” their “competence and integrity”.

According to a press release, at “all courts in Karnataka”, including the Karnataka high court, advocates abstained from court work today.

The strike follows the decision that was made yesterday to protest moves by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to begin impeachment proceedings against Karnataka high court Justice KL Manjunath for what they alleged is his disproportionate wealth, which was reported by the Indian Express.

In a note circulated on social media, the association wrote:

There has arisen a disturbing trend of irresponsible and publicity hungry persons unreasonably and unjustifiably attacking the competence and integrity of prominent Judges of Karnataka. Such people are obviously taking advantage of the fact that unlike other class of public servants, Judges face considerable limitations in defending themselves. Recently, the competence of Hon’ble Justice HL Dattu to assume the office of the Chief Justice of India was publicly doubted and mocked by certain vested interests. Even a bogey of sexual harassment was stitched together in the last minute as a desperate measure to attack him. Fortunately, those efforts did not succeed.

A similar attempt is underway to denigrate the integrity of Hon’ble Justice KL Manjunath of the Karnataka high court. He is alleged to have not declared about his wealth and assets when in fact, he has already done so. Further, the same crop of allegations of the Judge possessing disproportionate wealth are raised repeatedly though those very allegations were examined, investigated and ruled out by competent authorities. In fact, the allegation concerning possession of disproportionate wealth has been enquired into and dismissed by the Judiciary at the highest level. Needless to say, no objective person would find any substance in such allegations that are being levelled against Justice KL Manjunath. Considerable rebuttal is also to be found in the clarification issued by the Registrar of the Karnataka high court.

It has therefore, become necessary for the Bar and the fraternity of Advocates of our State to rise to the occasion and to prevent more of such unscrupulous persons from levelling unsubstantiated, unfounded and patently reckless allegations against the Judicial fraternity from Karnataka. So, we have had to take the decision to persuade all of our advocate brethren to boycott and to not participate in court proceedings throughout the territory of Karnataka on 26.09.2014. Please note that it is our collective self-respect that is being repeatedly attacked in such clandestine and devious manner.

To repeat, it has just been resolved, by all advocate fraternity in our State to abstain from court proceedings on 26-Sep-2014 as a mark of condemnation and opposition to the unjustified, unreasonable and unsubstantiated attack on the judicial fraternity from Karnataka, particularly, with respect to the baseless and devious attacks against Hon’ble Justice HL Dattu and Hon’ble Justice KL Manjunath.

AP Rangantha, General Secretary, Advocates Association, Bangalore