Lawyers burn AG’s effigy, seek scrapping of revised list
LUCKNOW: Lawyers of Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court burnt the effigy of the advocate general in front of Vidhan Bhawan on Monday and demanded his removal from the post, accusing him of neglecting lawyers associated with the BJP even in the revised list of standing counsel, which was announced on October 24. They demanded scrapping of the revised list.
The agitators alleged advocate general Raghvendra Singh gave preference to lawyers loyal to the Samajwadi Party, BSP and the Congress in selecting government counsels for the UP government.
A section of lawyers assembled in front of Vidhan Bhawan under the banner of Sanyukt Adhivakta Morcha on Monday and raised slogans against the advocate general. Later, they burnt his effigy.
“The advocate general kept the state government in the dark by while finalising the list of standing counsels. We demand a probe and immediate removal of the advocate general,” said lawyer Ram Ugra Shukla, who was leading the agitation.
The lawyers are planning to take up the issue with the state government. “We will apprise the chief minister of the issue. I am sure that the CM is not aware of the fact that BJP loyalists have been kept out of the standing counsels’ list,” said lawyer Sardar Ranjeet Singh.
The Yogi government had released a list of government advocates on July 7 last, kicking off a controversy. It carried names of SP loyalists and was opposed by advocates associated with the BJP. After much opposition, the government decided to review it and released the revised list on October 24, with a panel of 574 government advocates for Lucknow bench of Allahabad HC
According to the protesters, a large number of lawyers who were government advocates during the SP regime have again managed to find a place in the list, while lawyers associated with the BJP and RSS are missing.