The Supreme Court on Friday expressed strong disapproval of the directions issued by the Bar Council of India Chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra (which were later withdrawn by he himself) to deny enrollment of the students of the NALSAR University for a protest campaign against the Chief Justice of India.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said students have a right to peacefully protest and questioned the BCI's role in the matter.

"Students have the right to protest. Students have written a letter to me. It's a dialogue between students and me. The BCI action was absolutely unnecessary. Totally uncalled for. BCI has nothing to do with this," CJI said.

"Peacefully they are raising voice, they should be allowed," CJI said.

CJI Surya Kant made these observations when Senior Advocate K Parameshwar orally mentioned a writ petition filed against the BCI Chairman's direction. Although the BCI Chairman later withdrew the directions, the cause of action still survives, Parameshwar submitted. He added that the event raised questions about the manner of the BCI Chairman's functioning. There was no mention of any Council meeting authorising the BCI Chairman's actions and a BCI member from Kerala has already come on record opposing the move, he pointed out.

The CJI said the students had written to him and described the interaction as a dialogue between students and the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice also recalled his own involvement in student activities during his university years and emphasised that students should be permitted to peacefully raise their voices.

The Counsel appearing for the BCI informed the Court that the impugned decision had been withdrawn.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi, who was also part of the Bench, questioned the circumstances surrounding the BCI's decision.

“Was BCI convened to take a resolution like that? We want to know,” Justice Bagchi asked.

Accepting the oral mention of Parameshwar, the bench took the petition on board. The bench passed an interim order to the effect that no Bar Council should take any punitive action against any law student over the incidents mentioned in the BCI Chairman's letter (campaign against the CJI's participation in the convocation).