‘Manan, it’s done bro’: Within a month of ending Delhi protest, why CJP is seeking another resignation
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The Bar Council of India chairman, Manan Kumar Mishra, faces calls for resignation following a controversial, now-rescinded order to bar 2026 NALSAR graduates from enrollment. Legal bodies and activists are criticizing his apology as insincere, leading to organized protests at his Delhi office.
The BCI Enrollment Controversy: An Analysis of the Crisis
The Catalyst for Unrest
The current agitation surrounding Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra stems from a highly contentious directive issued on August 13. In this order, the BCI instructed state bar councils to withhold the enrollment of the entire 2026 graduating batch of the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law. This move, which was later rescinded following significant public and professional backlash, was widely perceived as an unprecedented and heavy-handed exercise of the BCI’s regulatory authority.
The Nature of the Apology
In the wake of the uproar, Manan Kumar Mishra issued an apology to the affected students. However, this gesture has been met with skepticism rather than reconciliation. The Bombay Bar Association (BBA), one of the most prominent and historic legal bodies practicing before the Bombay High Court, has explicitly labeled the apology as "belated" and merely an "attempt to assuage the situation" rather than a sincere expression of remorse. This critique underscores a deep-seated lack of confidence in the current leadership of the BCI among established legal practitioners.
The Rise of Activist Pressure
Adding a new dimension to this conflict is the involvement of the "Cockroach Janta Party" (CJP), led by Abhijeet Dipke and spokesperson Saurav Das. The group has mobilized physical protests at the BCI headquarters in Delhi, explicitly demanding Mishra’s resignation. The use of social media to coordinate these demonstrations, highlighted by Dipke’s "It’s done, bro" message, signals a shift toward more aggressive, grassroots-style accountability in legal institutional politics.
Institutional Implications
Beyond the immediate friction, the situation raises critical questions regarding the limits of the BCI Chairperson’s power. The BBA has characterized the original order as an "abuse" of the Chairperson’s office, suggesting that the institutional mechanisms meant to govern the legal profession are being questioned for their transparency and fairness. The fact that the BCI initially barred enrollments and then shifted to demanding an inquiry into NALSAR suggests a volatile and reactive decision-making process that has alienated significant segments of the legal fraternity.
Future Trends and Outlook
As the BBA and other legal bodies continue to stand behind the students of NALSAR, the pressure on Manan Kumar Mishra is unlikely to dissipate. The demand for his resignation, backed by the submission of formal memorandums and the threat of larger, sustained protests, indicates that the legal community is entering a phase of heightened activism. The BCI will likely face continued scrutiny, and the resolution of this crisis will depend on whether the leadership can restore trust or if the calls for structural change within the Council will gain further momentum.
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