Belgaum: A large number of lawyers staged a massive protest in front of Suvarna Soudha on Tuesday, demanding the formulation and implementation of the Lawyers’ Protection Act. Protesting lawyers blocked the Pune-Bangalore National Highway for a few hours. And when they tried to lay siege to Suvarna Soudha, the police stopped them.
The protest led to a traffic jam on the national highway for about four hours. After 2.30 pm, kilometers of vehicles were parked on both sides of the road. Even though the police tried to stop them, many groups of protesting lawyers removed the barricade and tried to put gherao on the building. A spat of words ensued as many, including the Belagavi Police Commissioner, tried to pacify the aggrieved lawyers. A tense atmosphere was created near the entrance of Suvarna Soudha when some lawyers climbed the gate and shouted slogans against Law Minister Madhuswamy.
Later, Law Minister Madhuswamy met the protestors and promised to take action to fulfill their demands and requested them to withdraw the sit-in. However, the unyielding lawyers intensified their protest. Then Revenue Minister R. Ashok met the protestors and persuaded them.
Ashok said that Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai has agreed to pass the Lawyers’ Protection Bill in the interest of lawyers and requested them to withdraw their protest. After a few hours the lawyers finally decided to withdraw the protest.
