Nagaland Bar Association demands AG KN Balgopal’s removal over his alleged Supreme Court remark and renews boycott of his cases
DIMAPUR — The Nagaland Bar Association (NBA) has renewed its demand for the termination of Advocate General KN Balgopal and directed its members to boycott cases in which he appears, following a remark he allegedly made before the Supreme Court.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the NBA executive committee on Thursday, in the backdrop of what the Bar described as a “disparaging, derogatory and disrespectful” statement allegedly made by Balgopal during his appearance before the Supreme Court on September 1.
According to the NBA, Balgopal had submitted that Nagaland “has only two types of employment: one is government job and the other is underground job”.
The Bar maintained that the statement was confirmed by advocates who were present during the proceedings and expressed “extreme concern” over the remark.
“As the advocate general, his aforesaid statement is disparaging, derogatory and disrespectful to the people of the state,” the NBA stated in a resolution adopted on Thursday.
Also read: 13 days to go: NBA ultimatum on Nagaland’s advocate general
It resolved to impress upon Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to “forthwith terminate” Balgopal’s engagement as AG, reiterating its earlier demand for his removal.
The NBA asserted that the AG, as the constitutional authority representing the state and its people, should not make what it described as a “malicious and irresponsible statement”.
It further stated that Balgopal had, through his conduct and utterances, “lost all moral authority” to continue as AG and that the remark had condemned the people of Nagaland as a whole.
Bar expands boycott
The NBA also reiterated and expanded a decision taken at its June 8 meeting to boycott cases in which Balgopal appears, either physically or virtually.
Under the latest resolution, members of the Bar, including those serving on the government panel, have been requested not to aid or assist Balgopal in his court appearances.The association has also asked its federating units to ensure that none of their members aid or assist the advocate general in court.
The latest move marks a further escalation in the Bar’s opposition to Balgopal’s continuation as AG.
The NBA stated the issue was no longer confined to the legal fraternity, asserting that the advocate general’s conduct had implications for citizens across the state. “His conduct affects not only the legal fraternity, but all citizens of the state,” the association stated, urging the people of Nagaland to join its demand for his immediate removal.
The NBA had earlier adopted resolutions concerning Balgopal’s appointment and set September 13 as the deadline for the state government to remove him as advocate general.
In Thursday’s communication to the media, the association stated that recent developments had prompted the executive committee to reiterate its position and place its latest resolutions in the public domain.
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