Odisha State Bar Council crisis deepens

The crisis in Odisha State Bar Council (OSBC) deepened today with its chairman Manas Ranjan Mohapatra refusing to convene a meeting to take up the no confidence motion brought against him by the majority of the Council members.
Soon after Mohapatra's refusal, the disgruntled members of OSBC authorised its vice-chairman Debadatta Mishra to convene an extraordinary council meeting to take up the no confidence motion and to take action as per the Council rules.
The no confidence motion would be taken up against Mohapatra and the Bar Council of India representative Devi Prasanna Dhal at the meeting to be convened soon, Mishra said.

He refuted the allegations made by Mohapatra that the state Law Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo was interfering in the affairs of the Council.
At least 15 members of the 25-member Council have claimed that the chairman has lost its confidence and he should honourably relinquish the post to pave the way for the election to find his replacement.