Odisha Bar Council chairman Manas Ranjan Mohapatra has accused law Minister Arun Sahu of politicising the lawyers’ bodies alleging that the Minister has a hand in the present crisis in the Bar 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 Wednesdayalleging that attempts are being made by the law Minister to divide the advocates’ unity. In a notice issued to Mohapatra, a copy of which was also sent to the State Advocate General (AG), 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 Mohapatra and Dhal to treat the notice as no-confidence motion against them. They alleged 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 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. The latter, however, has not endorsed the same yet. But notwithstanding it, the new development has virtually split the Bar Council of Odisha vertically, said a member.