A group of advocates assembled on the lawns of the Supreme Court on Thursday to collectively recite the Preamble to the Constitution as part of the "Save Democracy, Save Constitution" campaign, against the backdrop of the ongoing student protests and the authorities' response in the national capital.
The lawyers gathered during the court's lunch recess and read aloud the Preamble, reaffirming the constitutional values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.
Senior Advocate Indira Jaising and Dr S Muralidhar led the recitation. Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, was also present.
Among those who participated were Senior Advocates Anand Grover, Anjana Prakash, Sanjay Ghose, Shadan Farasat, Arundhati Katju, Mahalakshmi Pavani, Nandita Rao, P.V. Surendranath, Manali Singhal and Sangeetha Bharti, besides Advocate Vrinda Grover and several other members of the Bar.
The gathering witnessed a significant turnout of young members of the Supreme Court Bar. Many advocates carried Indian national flags and copies of the Constitution as they collectively recited the Preamble, reaffirming the constitutional values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.
Over the last few days, the national capital witnessed dramatic scenes following the police's use of force against students who had assembled at the Jantar Mantar protest site seeking the resignation of the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the instances of exam paper leaks.
The Supreme Court Bar Association, the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association, and a group of nearly 650 advocates have separately issued statements condemning the police lathicharge and use of violence against the students, and sought an independent and impartial investigation into the issue.