More than 50 advocates practising at the Bombay High Court on Monday (October 12) evening staged a symbolic protest opposite the High Court building at the iconic Flora Fountain site.

The advocates, mostly young girls, gathered at the site, with an aim to read the Preamble of the Constitution and also to sing the National Anthem at the site.

However, amid the heavy police bandobast outside the High Court building since Monday noon, the protesters were asked to vacate the site and were asked protest at the designated protest site - Azad Maidan, which is nearly 10 mins away from the High Court.

"Initially, we were just four of us, who stood there but we were gheraoed by hundreds of policemen... But soon more advocates joined in but the police did not let us protest properly... Our protests were in solidarity with whatever is going on in Delhi against the protestors there... The illegal detentions... Police excess etc... we also wanted to protest the SIR exercise and the arbitrary deletion of voters from the SIR and thus we seek resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.." said advocate Sanskruti Yagnik.

The cops cited some "directives" of the High Court. However, the lawyers cited the recent Supreme Court order. A senior officer present at the site then responded that the order was passed with respect to protests in Delhi, and not for Mumbai.

Speaking about the protests, advocate Vijay Kurle, who supported the protesting female advocates, said, "Everybody protesting on the streets are voicing their concern for the safety of their own present and future... The Parliamentary Democracy in our country is at stake, which is a threat to Constitution of India, which provides to equality before law... Situation in country isn't proper... If we want to protect this country and let its citizens be independent, then we will have to come down on the streets and protect the Constitution...."

Similar views were expressed by advocate Kavisha Khanna, who participated in the protest and read out the Preamble with others. She said that the right to peaceful protest and voice opposition is the soul of any functioning democratic institution or country, without which autocratic and kleptocratic actions become not only expected but also widely accepted.

Eventually, the advocates loudly read out the Preamble of the Constitution and dispersed.

However, the police bandobast continues as it is outside the Bombay High Court.