The Odisha Bar Council chairman Manas Ranjan Mohapatra has accused State Law Minister Arun Sahu of politicising the lawyers’ bodies and alleged that the Minister has a hand in the present crisis in the Council.
In an unprecedented move, at least 15 members of the 25-member Bar Council on Tuesday moved a no-confidence motion against Mohapatra and its representative to Bar Council of India (BCI) Devi Prasad Dhal. “There is no such provision of ‘No Trust Motion’ in the Odisha Bar Council Rules of 1989,” Mohapatra told reporters here on Wednesday alleging that attempts are being made by Mr Sahu to divide the advocates.
In a notice issued to Mohapatra, a copy of which was also sent to the State Advocate-General (A-G), the disgruntled members have pointed out that the Council has lost confidence in its chairman and the BCI representative.
Asking both Mohapatra and Dhal to resign from their posts forthwith and pave way for elections to find their replacements, the members have urged both to treat the notice as no-confidence motion against them.
Alleging that the chairman and the BCI representative, who were elected unopposed two years ago, have made the Council totally defunct and have done nothing to meet the interest of the Council and the advocates of the State in general. “In spite of our repeated requests, you are not rectifying yourself and rather acting in a detrimental manner contrary to the interests of the Council and the legal fraternity, thereby creating misunderstanding among the members,” the notice signed by the members said.
It may be mentioned here that the Rules Committee of the Council in April this year had incorporated an amendment to its Rules of 1989, introducing a clause of ‘Vote of No Confidence’ against the chairman, vice-chairman and the member representative to BCI.
A proposal to this effect was approved by the same members, who have issued the notice now and the same was sent to the Bar Council of India for endorsement.
