Progressive activists and organisations in Mysuru have appealed to the Mysuru Bar Association to withdraw its resolution against appearing for Nalini Balakumar who participated in a protest with a “Free Kashmir” placard at the University of Mysore recently and was later booked for sedition.
Members of the Bar association had announced last week that they would not appear for the woman on the grounds that her action was anti-national in nature. She had taken part in a protest to express solidarity with the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University and had carried the “Free Kashmir” placard and later regretted her act.
Reacting to the Bar association's decision, the progressive groups made an appeal on Thursday and, citing relevant sections of the law, sought to remind the Mysuru Bar association members that every citizen of the country had a right to be represented by a lawyer in the court of law.
The resolution went against the values of the Constitution which protects the rights of the citizens to be represented in the court, said the progressives.