# CJI rebukes BCI over NALSAR order, says students have right to protest

2026-08-14T05:20:22+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 6 independent outlets

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Friday strongly disapproved of the Bar Council of India's decision to bar enrolment of NALSAR University of Law's 2026 graduates. He said students have the right to peacefully protest and called the BCI's action 'totally uncalled for'. The CJI noted that the students had written to him directly and that the matter was a dialogue between them and the Chief Justice. The Supreme Court bench, also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi, issued an interim order directing that no punitive action be taken against any law student or faculty by the BCI or state bar councils over the incident. BCI Chairman Manan Mishra had initially ordered state councils to block enrolment of NALSAR's 2026 batch after some students opposed inviting the CJI as chief guest for the convocation. The order was withdrawn within hours, but a demand for an inquiry report from the university remained.

## Coverage

- livemint.com <https://www.livemint.com/news/india/bcis-interests-same-as-theirs-manan-mishra-to-cjps-abhijeet-dipke-saurav-das-withdraws-nalsar-order-11786682384563.html>
- indiatoday.in <https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bar-council-chief-manan-mishra-on-cjp-nalsar-graduates-bci-withdraws-advocate-enrolment-bar-chief-justice-abhijeet-dipk-2970913-2026-08-14?utm_source=rss>
- nationalheraldindia.com <https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/backlash-forces-bar-council-of-india-chairman-to-withdraw-threat-to-disbar-nalsar-law-graduates>
- timesnownews.com <https://www.timesnownews.com/india/cji-invite-row-nalsar-to-take-bci-inquiry-directive-to-executive-council-article-155610126>
- thefederal.com <https://thefederal.com/category/news/bci-swiftly-reverses-nalsar-enrolment-ban-continues-inquiry-into-cji-invite-row-253476>
- livelaw.in <https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/cji-surya-kant-disapproves-bci-action-against-nalsar-students-say-they-have-right-to-protest-545766>
- livelaw.in <https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/livelaw-breaking-news-alerts-545752>

Tags: Bar Council of India, CJI Surya Kant, Cockroach Janta Party, law students, Manan Mishra, NALSAR University
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