Bangalore: Law Minister Offers to Quit if it Helps Smoothening Media-Advocates Ties
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Mar 6: Karnataka’s Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar, who himself was a practicing advocate before he became a full-time politician, offered to quit if it helped facilitating smooth functioning of courts and building healthy relationship between media and advocates.
The minister said he was deeply pained over the unruly incidents that occurred at the City Civil Court on last Friday.
''I am ready to accede to the demand for resignation if that facilitates smooth functioning of courts and healthy relationship between media and advocates,” he said.
Leaders of the Bangalore Advocates Association have demanded the resignation of Suresh Kumar and Home and Transport Minister R Ashok for their alleged failure bring situation under control during clash between advocates and the media last week.
Writing in his blog, Suresh Kumar said: ''As the Law Minister, I have always tried to positively respond to the needs of the courts and advocates and I think my friends in the Bar will agree with me. I was really sad to read about the demand of my resignation from a delegation of Advocates Association.
''What are my omissions and commissions?,” he asked pointing out that, “When two powerful elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled.”
The minister, who was a practising advocate since 1981, termed March 2 as “black day” and said ''what should not have happened, became an unfortunate and tragic reality.”
The Minister was in Kalasa in Chikmagalur on that day to hold meetings as part of the BJP’s campaign to the bypoll to Udupi-Chikmaglaur Lok Sabha constituency.
Media Has Not Voiced Lawyers’ Perspective, says Pramila Nesargi
Meanwhile, senior advocate and a former BJP MLA Pramila Nesargi, contended that the media had ''failed to voice the perspective of lawyers” in its portrayal of the fracas on March 2 involving the lawyers, media persons and the police in the city civil court complex.
Addressing a news conference, Nesargi said media’s credibility had eroded because of “total blackout of the other side of the story.”
Claming that vehicles belonging to advocateds were damaged and lawyers were being beaten up allegedly by police and unidentified people, she said and mentioned that media had not shown such details to the public.
Reluctantly conceding that there “may have been” a mistake from some elements in the lawyers’ fraternity as well, she said: “Nobody is exonerating the wrong-doings of a few black sheep.”
This, however, cannot be used as an excuse to black out the other side of the story, she said.
Pramila Nesargi said both lawyers and journalists should ''regain maturity” and should not allow themselves to be carried away by anger, hatred and ill will.
The press conference witnessed hearted arguments between journalists and Ms Pramila Nesargi when she sought to downplay the attacks on media persons by lawyers and sought to brush it off as ''minor.”