From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Mysuru, Aug 12: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called upon the legal fraternity to fight for protecting the Constitution as it is the basis for democracy and ensures justice and protection to all citizens.

Inaugurating the 10th conference of the Bar Council of Karnataka in Mysuru on Saturday, he said the legal fraternity, especially the advocates must fight for the rights of the downtrodden and deprived sections of society as they are exploited due to their illiteracy and lack of financial resources.

The architect of Indian Constitution Dr B R Ambedkar must be the role model and beacon for all advocates, the Chief Minister said the writings and speeches of Dr Ambedkar on the role and responsibility of all citizens is worth remembering.

"Instead of asking what society has done for us, we must ask what we have done as it will serve as the guiding principle for our service,’’ he said.

The Chief Minister said all are equal in the eyes of law but it is the powerful who call the shots and dictate terms. Equality before law and equal protection of law as well as equal opportunities must be the watchword, he said.

Siddaramaiah said the judiciary must introspect and strive to bring reservation in the judiciary at all levels. There is need to empower the women and scheduled castes and scheduled tribes as well as backward classes so that they become part of the mainstream of society.

He recalled his early days as a lawyer and pointed out that when he became a lawyer, he was the first among his Kuruba community to became a lawyer. Now the situation has changed and more and more people are joing the legal profession.

All of us must do our best and serve society, he added.