ALLAHABAD: The Allahabad High Court lawyers on Tuesday took out a motorcycle rally in the city and struck work in protest against shifting of various government offices and tribunals from here to Lucknow.
The advocates resorted to the strike accusing the state government of curtailing the statutory powers of the high court hereby shifting various tribunals from here and lowering the primacy of the historical city by moving various key government offices to Lucknow.
After covering various parts of the city on their motorcycles, the advocates congregated at a massive public meeting, jointly organised by various bar associations, traders bodies and various government employees unions at the Civil Lines crossing here on a day which was observed a shutdown in the city.
Addressing the meeting Allahabad High Court Bar Association president Rakesh Pandey vehemently opposed the UP Education Service Tribunal Bill, 2019, pending for President Ram Nath Kovind's assent.
The Bill seeks to set up the Education Service Tribunal at Lucknow, having jurisdiction over all districts of the state.
Opposing this provision, Pandey said the bill is aimed at slowly curtailing the power of the Allahabad High Court's principal bench here.
In his speech, Pandey cited various judgments of the apex court which provided for setting up of tribunals at places where principal benches of the high courts are located.
By shifting the Education Service Tribunal to Lucknow, the government has sought to deprive the Allahabad High Court's jurisdiction over it, said Pandey.
He added that by shifting various key government offices from here to Lucknow, the government is trying to strip Allahabad of its primacy in the state and lowering its dignity.
The government's steps amount to according step-motherly treatment to the citizens of Allahabad, who have contributed a lot to the development of the state, he said.
The CESTAT Bar Association also came out in support of the bandh expressing its concern over the proposed setting up of the state bench of the GST Tribunal at Lucknow.
In addition to it, the members of the CAT Bar Association and Allahabad District Court Bar Association also struck work in their respective courts in support of the bandh.
The Educational Tribunal Bill proposes setting up of Education Service Tribunal at the state and national level to adjudicate disputes related to the higher education.