New Delhi: Lawyers and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party gathered outside the Bar Council of India headquarters in Delhi on Thursday, August 20, demanding its Chairman Manan Mishra’s resignation.

Heavy police and RAF personnel were deployed near the office after the protest was called by the All India Young Advocates Association and backed by the CJP.

The protest began over the BCI’s August 13 order that asked the State Bar Councils not to enrol Hyderabad NALSAR University’s graduating batch of 2026. The students had earlier rejected Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s invitation to their convocation ceremony.

Although the BCI later withdrew the order, saying most students were innocent, the order itself drew widespread criticism. CJI Kant said the BCI order was “absolutely unnecessary” and said the students had a right to protest. The CJI had also restricted any punitive action against the NALSAR students or faculty.

The protest called by the All India Young Advocates Association was supported by the CJP, with its spokesperson Saurav Das saying he backs any form of “peaceful protest that seeks accountability”.

Protestors gathered outside the office, raised slogans, and held placards seeking Mishra’s resignation. Some advocates questioned Mishra’s long tenure, which lacked any real change.

“The Chairman has held his position for 14 years; what has he actually done for the legal fraternity…The All India Young Lawyers Association are demanding the BCI Chairman’s resignation. We are making the same demand,” Advocate Raman Sharma told ANI news agency.

He also clarified that despite support from CJP, the movement is largely driven by the legal fraternity. “It is fine if the Cockroach Janta Party has supported us – that is well and good… our own fraternity certainly should have thought about it. However, this is strictly a movement by advocates against our own apex body to address the shortcomings within the organisation and press for our legitimate demands.”