Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman and Senior Advocate Manan Kumar Mishra has turned down demands for his resignation, mounting an aggressive defense of his leadership while directly disputing the official standing and political motives of his critics.

Allegations by Sadasiva Reddy

In a letter addressed by Senior Advocate Y.R. Sadasiva Reddy to Mishra seeking his resignation, serious allegations including diversion of Rs. 150 crores of Council funds to a private trust and the appointment of family members to key positions against the BCI Chairman.

Mishra said that Reddy was a former a Co-Chairman of the BCI and currently not even a member of the State Bar Council of Karnataka.

"…Come and fight the elections. Fight the State Bar Council elections, fight the BCI elections, fight for the Chairman, fight like a man and defeat Manan Mishra. But when you cannot do that, and go into the field, and cannot go to the voters, you resort to such tactics. Till the advocates of the country want Manan Mishra to remain the Chairman, he will remain the Chairman…", he said in an interview on ANI.

Manan Mishra emphasized that over 2.5 million lawyers across the country act as voters, first electing representatives to their respective State Bar Councils. These state delegates then elect representatives to the Bar Council of India, who collectively vote to choose the Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

On Reddy’s current status, Mishra further said, "He was a member, and a co-chairman. Today, Sadashiv Reddy is not even a member of the State Bar Council of Karnataka. His actions are personally and politically motivated, he belongs to another party and has been an opponent of BJP and opposed me till the time he was a member…come and prove the allegations that he has levelled, and I will go out. He is a senior lawyer, and such things do not suit his stature."

Highlighting his extended democratic mandate, Mishra noted that he is currently serving his seventh term, having been elected unopposed for six consecutive terms, and affirmed that more than two-thirds of BCI members continue to support his leadership.

CJP's Demand For Resignation

“These baseless allegations are being made by a few individuals—such as those from the CJP—who have no connection to the Bar Council. They have even gone so far as to call lawyers 'legal cockroaches'. This is deeply shameful for the legal fraternity, and the community of lawyers will never tolerate such baseless and frivolous remarks," Mishra stated. Reaffirming that his position as BCI Chairman rests entirely on the trust of the legal community, he added that he will remain in office as long as the country's lawyer-electorate wants him to stay.

Allegations of Fund Diversion

Mishra rejected the accusations detailed in Reddy’s six-page letter, describing the resignation demand as a "political stunt" and "political vendetta" lacking factual backing. He maintained that claims regarding personal appointments or trust operations are surfacing only now for political leverage.

Addressing the governance of "BCI Trust PEARL-First", which Reddy claimed received an unexamined transfer of ₹150 crore, Mishra asserted that the trust operates with total transparency under managing trustees comprising BCI members and senior advocates. He stated that anyone is welcome to examine the accounts, noting that the entity undergoes annual professional audits. The audit reports, according to Mishra, are incorporated into the budget, published, and placed directly in the public domain. He added that Reddy himself was previously associated with the trust framework.

The NALSAR Row

The exchange follows a formal demand by Reddy on August 22 seeking Mishra's resignation within 15 days, a special General Council meeting, and an independent financial inquiry. Other BCI members, including Manoj Kumar Narendran and Srinath Tripathi, have also raised objections regarding Mishra’s executive decisions during a recent General Council session.

A primary flashpoint remains the BCI's August 13 directive instructing State Bar Councils to withhold advocate enrolments for NALSAR University’s graduating class. While the BCI subsequently withdrew the order following widespread pushback, critics argue that taking administrative action against graduates without General Council authorization damaged institutional standing.

Prolonged Tenure

Mishra was elected for a seventh consecutive term in March, 2025. 

Responding to questions regarding his continuous tenure as BCI Chairman since 2012, Mishra maintained that his leadership reflects ongoing voter confidence across the legal fraternity. Reaffirming that he will not vacate office under external pressure, Mishra reiterated that any change in executive leadership must be tested strictly through the ballot box.

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