The All India Lawyers Union (AILU), at its national council meeting held here on Sunday (August 16), demanded the resignation of Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra over the controversial order barring the enrolment of students of the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research, Andhra Pradesh (NALSAR).

Addressing the media, AILU president Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya said the BCI Chairman “ought to have resigned, showing respect for the chair,” rather than retracting his statement or issuing an apology.

The Union also demanded the withdrawal of cases registered against protesters who had participated in the recent agitations over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination. It further urged the government to stop monitoring and ‘harassing’ young people for expressing dissent on social media.

The AILU also sought an amendment to the Advocates’ Welfare Fund Act, 2001, to provide a minimum death-cum-retirement benefit of ₹25 lakh and an enhancement of medical benefit to ₹5 lakh.

It also demanded a monthly stipend of ₹10,000 for junior lawyers for a minimum period of five years.

The Union said the benefits provided under the Welfare Fund had not kept pace with the rising cost of living, medical expenses, and other economic realities faced by lawyers in the event of retirement, death, or disability.

General secretary P.V. Surendranath, State president and All India vice-president K. Gopalakrishna Kurup, State secretary N.C. Mohanan, and assistant secretary K. Anil Kumar were present at the press conference.

The Union further said the BCI had issued an order to alter the strength of State Bar Councils, which was later set aside by the Supreme Court.

It said that the BCI was not authorised to make such a change and that any alteration to the composition of the State bodies should have been brought through the legislative process rather than an administrative circular.

Such decisions taken by the Chairman without the requisite authority were another reason for demanding his resignation, the Union said.