CJI Surya Kant rebukes BCI over NALSAR enrolment ban, says students have right to protest peacefully. NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Friday strongly disapproved of the Bar Council of India's now-revoked decision to stop enrolment of 2026 graduates of Hyderabad's NALSAR University of Law as advocates after students opposed his invitation as chief guest for the university's convocation.

The Supreme Court said students had a right to protest peacefully and stayed any coercive action against NALSAR students or faculty by the BCI or state Bar Councils." If students are protesting peacefully, who is BCI to take action?

It is the right of the students to protest peacefully. It is a dialogue between students and me.

No one else has to step in," the CJI said. The bench, comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, said the BCI's action was "absolutely uncalled for".

The court posted the matter for hearing after two weeks.. The students had cited his reported remarks during a hearing on alleged police excesses against protesters during the July 20 march to Parliament.

How the NALSAR row beganAt least six representations were submitted to the NALSAR administration from students of different batches, with the first being submitted on July 23. The students objected to the proposed invitation and referred to remarks attributed to the CJI during the hearing.

One of the representations cited his response to an offer to show videos of the alleged police action: " We are not interested in videos; we don’t have time to watch." The students argued that inviting the CJI conflicted with the university's stated commitment to constitutional rights and access to justice..

We feel that receiving our degrees from a dignitary whose recent public conduct, as reported, appears dismissive of serious allegations of police brutality against protesting citizens sits uncomfortably with what we have been taught to value during our time at NALSAR." Five subsequent representations from different batches supported the concerns raised in the initial letter.

Students claimed that hundreds had backed the representations, although the numbers could not be independently verified." We respect the CJI’s position.

“Till further orders, no student of Nalsar University of Law, who has obtained law degree in the year 2026, shall be enrolled by any state bar council as an advocate.” Mishra said the final decision would be taken on August 19 after receiving a report from the university's vice-chancellor.