CJI TS Thakur draws analogy between Haryana agitators & lawyers

NEW DELHI: Chief Justice TS Thakur couldn’t resist making a seemingly sarcastic reference to lawyers going on the rampage at the Patiala House court last week when an advocate argued the Jat community’s quota agitation was preventing lawyers from entering court.

“Property of other communities is being torched. Shops and railway stations are being burnt. A police station has just been burnt down. The court must intervene to protect the innocent citizens,” said lawyer Ajay Jain, who had filed a public interest litigation in this regard.

The chief justice was cool tohis demand. “It is for the government to do something. There is no reason for us to believe that the government will not act. If the government is helpless, what can we do?” said Thakur, who was sitting alongside Justice Lalit.

Jain then sought to draw the attention of the bench to the plight of lawyers. “Advocates can’t even enter the courts,” Jain said.

That prompted the chief justice to refer to lawyers going on the rampage in the Patiala House court last week against students and faculty of JNU, including student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who was ostensibly under police protection. “Have the lawyers begun doing this also in Patiala House court,” Thakur asked.