The NLSIU students and alumni have taken a strong stance against the Bar Council of India's (BCI) actions, which they deem unconstitutional and an infringement on free speech. They have demanded an unconditional apology from the BCI to NALSAR's student and faculty community, citing the body's attempt to infringe their fundamental right to free speech and expression. The students also question the Chairman's authority to unilaterally issue such orders, pointing to Section 4 of the Act, which states that the BCI is composed of the Attorney General, the Solicitor General, and one member from each State Bar Council. They argue that the BCI's actions are ultra vires the Advocates Act, 1961, and that the Act does not empower the body to order State Bar Councils to arbitrarily suspend or ban the enrolment of a person qualified to be an advocate. The students also express strong disapproval of BCI Chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra attending the convocation of NLSIU without taking full responsibility for his conduct, and call for an explanation of the protocol for the use of the BCI's official letterhead by the Chairperson. The statement, released on Independence Day, comes days after the BCI issued and subsequently withdrew letters dated August 13, 2026, that directed State Bar Councils not to enrol NALSAR's 2026 graduating batch as advocates. The students have also taken strong exception to the BCI's characterisation of the student expression as 'dirty' and 'nasty politics', calling it an 'unabashed threat' with a 'chilling effect on free speech' for students across the country. They have invoked Rabindranath Tagore's immortal words 'Where the Mind is Without Fear', which greet them before entering their classrooms every day, to emphasize the importance of free speech and expression. The students have also expressed solidarity with NALSAR's request to reconsider the choice of the Chief Justice of India as Chief Guest for their Convocation, and similar disapproval of the CJI attending NLSIU's convocation for the same reasons. The statement highlights what it termed a 'concerning pattern' of the BCI Chairman using the statutory body to make partisan political comments, and calls for a focus on the poor state of legal education and professional development in the country, rather than making such statements.
