I was elected, not nominated: Bar Council chief hits back after resignation demand

Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra has rejected YR Sadasiva Reddy's call for his resignation and an independent inquiry. Their clash has brought the Council's leadership, appointments and financial transparency under public scrutiny.Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra issued the August 13 an order to freeze the enrolment of NALSAR's 2026 graduating batch. (Image: Facebook)A leadership battle has erupted within the Bar Council of India, with Chairman and BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra rejecting allegations by senior advocate and BCI member YR Sadasiva Reddy and calling his demand for resignation a "political vendetta" and "political stunt".Reddy, who has sought Mishra's resignation and an independent inquiry into the functioning of the statutory body, has raised allegations concerning appointments, finances, trusts and the functioning of the BCI under Mishra's chairmanship.But Mishra has dismissed the allegations as baseless and questioned Reddy's current position in the Bar Council system."First of all, I must clarify, he is not a Co-Chairman of Bar Council of India. Rather, today, he is not even a member of the State Bar Council," Mishra said. He claimed Reddy had not contested the Karnataka Bar Council elections and that the results had already been declared.‘THIS IS POLITICAL VENDETTA’Mishra said the BCI is a democratic body in which representatives are elected, while accepting that internal and political differences can exist within the organisation. "There are groups and there is a politics, internal politics also, party politics also," he said.Mishra alleged that Reddy belonged to another political party and normally supported Congress leaders."Therefore, it's all political vendetta and political stunt out of which he has opened his mouth," Mishra said.He also questioned why Reddy had raised the allegations only now."He has been the member of the Bar Council of India for last about eight and a half years. But throughout eight and a half years, he has never opened his mouth," Mishra said.Reddy has, however, described his resignation demand as an elected BCI member and member of the legal profession, saying it was based on what he had witnessed during his time on the Council.MISHRA SAYS HE HAD DEFENDED REDDYMishra also referred to his earlier association with Reddy, saying he had helped him during a difficult period."In the times of trouble, I have helped him also," Mishra said.He recalled an earlier episode when Reddy was removed by the Karnataka Bar Council after a no-confidence motion was passed against him."Once upon a time, he was removed by the Karnataka Bar Council. A no confidence motion was passed by Karnataka Bar Council and it was placed before the Bar Council of India. But I was the man, I was the chairman who defended him," Mishra said.He added that he had argued that Reddy should not be removed in that manner.‘BCI IS STILL A VERY STRONG INSTITUTION’Asked whether Reddy's allegations could affect the integrity of the BCI, Mishra rejected the suggestion."Not at all. Not at all. Nobody takes notice of it," he said.Mishra said BCI members had held a physical meeting shortly before his interaction with reporters and claimed that the members were standing with him."All the members are standing with solidarity with me and the Bar Council of India is still a very strong institution. It will be a very strong institution in future also," he said.Mishra added that comments by Reddy or others would have no impact on the institution.MISHRA DEFENDS HIS ELECTION AND SEVENTH TERMMishra also defended his position as BCI Chairman and explained the election process."First, they elect their representatives to the State Bar Council. The representatives from all State Bar Councils then elect their representatives to the Bar Council of India, and collectively, these representatives from all states elect the Chairman and Vice-Chairman," he said.He said he was an elected representative rather than a nominated member."I am an elected representative. I was neither selected nor nominated to the Bar Council of India. It is a statutory body established under the Advocates Act," Mishra said.He also pointed to his long tenure as chairman."This is my seventh term. I have been elected unopposed for the last six terms. Even today, more than two-thirds of the Bar Council members support me," he said.WHAT ARE THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST MISHRA?In his August 22 letter to Mishra, Reddy called for the BCI chairman's resignation and an independent inquiry into several aspects of the Council's functioning.Reddy alleged that appointments within the BCI establishment had been made without a transparent recruitment process. He also claimed that a significant proportion of the staff comprised people connected or related to members of the Council.According to Reddy, he could not find advertisements, selection committee proceedings or comparative merit lists in the records placed before the Council to justify some of the appointments.Reddy has sought a Special Meeting of the BCI to consider the allegations, with relevant records to be provided to every member in advance.He has also demanded a special audit of the BCI's accounts and the BCI Trust Fund from the date of their registration. He wants the audit to be conducted by an independent firm empanelled with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, with the report circulated to all Council members and made public.Another demand is an immediate direction that no contribution, donation or payment of any kind be accepted from law colleges, universities or managements by the Council or any trust or body connected with it.Reddy has also sought the publication of the complete staff position relating to his allegations on the BCI website.‘TRUST FUNCTIONING IS COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT’Mishra rejected allegations concerning the trust and appointments involving relatives."If a handful of individuals are making baseless allegations, whether regarding a trust or the appointment of a relative, there is no substance to them," Mishra said.On the trust's functioning, he said its accounts were subject to an annual audit."Regarding the trust, its entire functioning is completely transparent. The managing trustees include distinguished individuals — Bar Council members and senior advocates. Anyone is welcome to examine the accounts; the trust undergoes an annual audit," he said.Mishra said the audit report was incorporated into the budget, published and made available in the public domain.He also rejected Reddy's wider allegations against the Council, saying they had surfaced only now.MISHRA: ‘MANAN MISHRA WILL REMAIN PRESIDENT’ AS LONG AS LAWYERS WANTMishra also criticised people outside the BCI who he said were making allegations against the institution.He referred to comments allegedly made by people associated with the CJP and accused them of having no connection with the Bar Council."They have even gone so far as to call lawyers 'legal cockroaches'. This is deeply shameful for the legal fraternity, and the community of lawyers will never tolerate such baseless and frivolous remarks," Mishra said.He ended his defence by linking his position to the support of the country's lawyers."Manan Mishra will remain president as long as the country's lawyers, the voters, want him to stay," he said.Reddy, meanwhile, has maintained that his demand is not driven by personal animosity. In his letter, he said he had worked alongside Mishra for about a decade and was raising the issues based on his assessment of the BCI's functioning."There are able persons in this Council capable of restoring it," Reddy said, adding that stepping down voluntarily would allow Mishra to take credit for facilitating a transition.The two sharply contrasting positions have now put the BCI's internal functioning, leadership and financial transparency at the centre of a public dispute.- EndsPublished By: Sonali VermaPublished On: Aug 22, 2026 20:42 IST