The Supreme Court collegium's decision to transfer two high court judges - one from Gujarat and one from Telangana - upset lawyers in both states. After Justice Nikhil Kariel was transferred to the Patna High Court, lawyers in Gujarat's High Court went on an indefinite strike, and lawyers in Hyderabad staged a protest and decided to skip hearings in opposition to the transfer of Justice A Abhishek Reddy to the Bihar capital.
The Gujarat HC bar said the transfer of “the finest, honest, upright and unbiased judge” Justice Kariel “strikes at the rule of law and independence of judiciary, the two prime edifices on which our Constitution rests”. The Gujarat High Court Advocates Association (GHAA) said that the "indefinite strike" would be reviewed while also agreeing to send a delegation to the Chief Justice of India and other members of the collegium, as well as four SC judges promoted from the Gujarat HC.
The protesting lawyers of Telangana HC said they saw no reason why a righteous judge was moved out, if not its part of a condemnable “design”. They didn’t explain what could be the “design”.
