Advocate P Narasimha Murthy, Vice-President of the APHCAA, however, painted a different picture of the tenure of the existing office-bearers.
While the State Bar Council has mandated elections to the Association every year around March, the last election could only take place in October 2021.
“After the tenure had expired, we moved the State Bar Council in this regard and they passed an official resolution saying the current body is to continue till March, when polls should be held and the new body is to take over from April. As per the bye-laws, in the absence of office-bearers the Council itself leads the functioning of the association, but here they passed the resolution for us to remain till March. We will be holding elections then,” he told Bar & Bench.
Murthy added that the lawyers who held the meeting and passed the resolution did not have a right to do so without the office-bearers.
“No, they cannot, how can they? They are private persons who did not consult the body or the Council. The procedure is that these people have to normally make a representation or file a grievance to the Association to conduct such a meeting, but unfortunately they did not so. Here, if at all they have a grievance, they did not even approach the Bar Council. They know the legalities, that is why the did not approach any forum or court knowing they will fail.“
He claimed that the purported resolution was only initially drafted and signed by four advocates in a court hall, and later got more signatures and went to the media.
“No official resolution has been passed. Till date, they have not moved any such representation or application. They are only doing this in their personal interest, the protests and call to abstain from work are being led by Advocate Posani Venkateswarlu, [not a signatory to the resolution] who is the legal cell President of the Telegu Desam Party.“
Source: Barandbench
