‘Never accepted invitation’: CJI Surya Kant says he declined to be chief guest at NALSAR convocation amid row
CJI Surya Kant: "I Never Accepted" NALSAR Convocation Invitation
The Chief Justice's Clarification
Indiadailyupdate.com – Speaking on Monday after addressing the vice chancellors of India's national law universities in Jodhpur, Chief Justice Surya Kant made clear that he had never agreed to serve as chief guest at the upcoming NALSAR University of Law convocation. Because no acceptance was ever extended, he noted, the question of whether he would attend simply does not arise.
"I never accepted the invitation," the CJI stated, adding that since no commitment was made, there is nothing to discuss regarding his presence at the ceremony.
The convocation itself is scheduled for late August or September.
Student Opposition and Its Roots
The controversy traces back to a petition filed by more than 400 of NALSAR's roughly 1,400 enrolled students. They objected to the prospect of the CJI presiding over their graduation, pointing to remarks he made while hearing petitions connected to the July 20 student march toward Parliament.
During those hearings, the Chief Justice declined to take suo motu notice of allegations that police had used pellet guns and facial-recognition technology to identify protesting students. On July 22, a lawyer appeared before the bench claiming to possess video evidence of the incident but had not filed any formal petition. The CJI directed him to lodge a proper petition setting out his allegations. When the advocate pressed for the court to simply watch the footage, the Chief Justice told him not to waste the court's time.
The BCI Letter and Its Rapid Reversal
The dispute escalated sharply when the Bar Council of India moved to boycott the graduating cohort. BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra dispatched a unilateral letter to the NALSAR vice-chancellor, demanding that the institution identify and investigate the students who had opposed the CJI's presence. The letter further warned that those students could be barred from registering as advocates.
The directive was withdrawn almost immediately following intense public backlash. The Supreme Court subsequently called for a response, observing that the regulator should not have intervened in what was essentially a matter between the Chief Justice and NALSAR students.
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