NALSAR students oppose inviting CJI for convocation over his response to police action on protesters

Students from the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research in Hyderabad have asked the university to reconsider Chief Justice Surya Kant as the chief guest for their convocation, citing his response to a petition challenging police action against protesters in Delhi, Bar and Bench reported.

A representation to this effect to the university authorities was first submitted on July 23 by 70 students from the outgoing batch of the institute, The Indian Express reported. In the next two days, about 380 more students from batches that will graduate over the next five years supported the demand to reconsider inviting Kant.

While NALSAR has yet to announce the chief guest for the event, the incumbent chief justice has been delivering the convocation address at the university for the past several years.

The students’ primary objection was against Kant’s remarks when a bench headed by him refused to urgently hear a petition challenging the police action against protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20, Bar and Bench reported.

The plea had come up for urgent hearing on July 22. However, Kant had reportedly told the petitioners: “Don’t waste our time and don’t waste your time.”

When the lawyer for the petitioners said that he could present video evidence of the police excesses, the chief justice had said the bench was “not...

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