CJI Surya Kant rebukes BCI over NALSAR protest in Hyderabad

India Aug 14, 2026

The Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, called out the Bar Council of India (BCI) for stepping into a student protest at NALSAR in Hyderabad.

Students were upset about inviting the CJI to their convocation after his comments on police handling of protests.

Surya Kant summed it up simply: "Who are they to interfere? It's a dialogue between me and students."

Supreme Court bars BCI punitive action

BCI first told state bar councils not to enroll any NALSAR graduates from the 2026 batch, but quickly reversed that decision after backlash.

Now, the Supreme Court has asked BCI to explain itself and made it clear: no punitive action should be taken against any NALSAR student or faculty.