Raphael Warjri

Meghalaya’s legal fraternity has turned up the heat on the government, with lawyers taking their protest to the streets and demanding the immediate removal of  Advocate General Amit Kumar. Rejecting the government’s assurances as inadequate, the protesting lawyers say nothing short of Kumar’s ouster will break the deadlock.

The agitation over Advocate General Amit Kumar has now spilled onto the streets, with sections of Meghalaya’s legal fraternity stepping up their protest.

The lawyers have questioned the government’s assurances, maintaining that the issue cannot be resolved through assurances alone and reiterating their demand for Kumar’s removal from office.

The controversy stems from remarks attributed to the Advocate General during proceedings before the Meghalaya High Court in connection with an alleged incident involving a woman intern.

The High Court of Meghalaya Bar Association and the Shillong Bar Association had subsequently sought Kumar’s removal and announced abstention from judicial proceedings, while keeping bail and other urgent matters outside the purview of the protest.

The stand-off has also exposed differences within the legal fraternity, with questions being raised over the legality of the court boycott and the manner in which the agitation has been conducted.

With the government yet to break the impasse, the lawyers have maintained pressure on the administration, keeping the demand for the Advocate General’s removal firmly on the agenda.

The escalating face-off has now raised concerns over its impact on the functioning of the courts, even as efforts continue to find a way out of the deadlock.