While the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa and various legal outfits, have already complained to the Bar Council of India (BCI), demanding the debarring of advocates who have declared ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’, the Election Commission of India (ECI) too has sent a notice to the BJP for releasing a video featuring jawans, teachers and students.
The Media Certification and Monitoring Committee has issued a show cause notice to the BJP asking it to clarify its stand on the video released without its permission. The video was shared by BJP’s election committee member Neeraj Kumar.
Earlier this month, the EC had advised all parties not to use the photos of jawans or the photos related to recent air strikes by IAF personnel in its election publicity material.
Mumbai-based advocate Eijaz Naqvi who has written to the BCI, has pointed out that some of the advocates in their face book account have mentioned 'Main Bhi Chowkidar'.
Since the lawyers are already engaged in one profession, if they claim themselves as 'Chowkidar' it implies that they have two occupations, which is not allowed under the rules applicable to practising lawyers.
“An advocate is an officer of the court, who is expected to uphold the Constitution of India and the rule of law, in the larger interest of justice. Those advocates who practise any other profession apart from law, should lose their licence to practise. Further, an advocate is not entitled to remove the prefix, ‘Adv’, and attach another like ‘chowkidar’ or ‘watchman’. Therefore I have asked the Bar Council of India and Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa to take action,” Naqvi said.
As far as ‘chowkidari’ or profession of watchman is concerned, it is different and in contrast to the legal profession. In several cases, the Bar Council have a rule to the effect that no advocate while practising shall engage in a trade or business or accept an appointment carrying a salary without previously getting NOC from the Bar Council. To allow, an advocate to become ‘chowkidar’ is not possible as per existing law.”
Naqvi, has forwarded the complaint also to the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for further action. The SCBA secretary, senior advocate, Vikrant Yadav, said that he would issue notices to all such advocates. After Congress President Rahul Gandhi referred to PM Narendra Modi as ‘Chowkidar chor hai,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi started a campaign, ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’. This caught on, with his partymen and many professionals, including advocates who began calling themselves ‘chowkidars’.
In the meanwhile BJP has began registrations for its March 31 programme during which Modi is scheduled to address people who have pledged support for his 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' campaign, from 500 locations in the country.
Earlier, in a unique outreach with about 25 lakh security via an audio conference, Modi had said that the Opposition party's 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' campaign had insulted all the watchmen of the country as the task of the 'naamdaar' (dynast) is to spread hatred. I want to apologise as some people, had run a misinformation campaign against 'chowkidars', he had said.