Kant said the move by the BCI was “uncalled for.”
Slamming the BCI’s move, CJI Kant said, “Naturally, this is absolutely uncalled for. It’s a dialogue between students and me. Who are they to raise an issue? This is totally uncalled for.”
“In my student days I have been actively involved in student activities. Assuming even if they are wrong, they have a right to protest. BCI doesn’t have any business,” Kant added.
The remarks came after Senior Advocate K Parameshwar mentioned the matter before a Bench comprising CJI Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, Bar and Bench reported.
Parameshwar said, “BCI has no business of what’s going on in a university.”
The top court issued notice on the plea and stated that no punitive action shall be taken against NALSAR or any of its students or faculty members, or against any other national law university, by the BCI.
The order read, “Issue notice. Meanwhile no punitive action shall be taken against student or faculty of any national law university/law university. BCI accepts notice. Pending circular has been withdrawn. Be that as it may let counter affidavit may be filed within 2 weeks. No punitive action to be taken against students of Nalsar in respect of the incidents mentioned in the subject letters,” Bar and Bench reported.
The BCI’s order against Nalsar students came after some of them launched a campaign against inviting Kant as the chief guest for the university’s convocation ceremony. The students cited Kant’s remarks during a Supreme Court hearing over allegations of police brutality against protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi last month.
The CJI, while dismissing the petition last month, had said, “Don’t waste our time, and don’t waste your time.” When told that there was video evidence, Kant had said, “We are not interested in videos; we don’t have time to watch.”
Around 450 out of Nalsar’s 1,400 students had campaigned against Kant’s invitation, citing his remarks, after which the BCI issued the order barring the 2026 batch from enrolling as advocates. However, later that day, the BCI withdrew the order following an uproar, saying the “vast majority” of the students were innocent and should not be made to suffer for the alleged misconduct of a few.
