Chennai, Feb 23 (Reporter) Asserting that the Advocates Amendment Bill 2025 was a direct assault on the autonomy of the legal fraternirty, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M K Stalin on Sunday demanded its withdrawal. In a social media post, he accused the BJP government at the Centre of systematically undermining the independence of the judiciary since 2014 and appealed to it to withdraw it by respecting the autonomy of the legal profession. The Chief Minister said after withdrawing the Draft Bill due to spontaneous protests and strong opposition, the rider that it would be reconsidered and processed afresh was condemnable. Mr Stalin said the Centre, first tried to hijack judicial appointments through the NJAC, and then by ignoring the collegium's recommendations for judicial appointments and transfers. And now, it was attempting to weaken the judicial independence by eroding the autonomy of the legal profession by seeking control over Bar Councils, he charged. The Chief Minister also flayed the BJP Government at the Centre for its aversion to Tamil which was evident in the Advocates Amendment Bill as it wanted to rename the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as the Bar Council of Madras. Mr Stalin asserted that Tamil Nadu was not just a name, but an identity. The law is a dark room and the lawyer’s argument is the light in it, he said, citing the words of former Chief Minister, DMK stalwart and Founder C N Annadurai (popularly called as Perarignar (scholar) Anna). "The law is a dark room , and the lawyer’s argument is the light in it" : Perarignar Anna" "The Advocates Amendment Bill 2025 is a direct assault on the autonomy of the legal profession", he said. "Since 2014, the BJP government has been systematically undermining the independence of the Judiciary--first by trying to hijack judicial appointments through the NJAC, then by ignoring the collegium's recommendations for judicial appointments and transfers. Now, by seeking control over Bar Councils, it aims to weaken judicial independence by eroding the autonomy of the legal profession", Mr Stalin wrote. "The BJP’s aversion to “Tamil” is evident in this Bill, as it wants to rename the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu & Puducherry as the Bar Council of Madras. Tamil Nadu is not just a name; it is our identity!", he said. "Though spontaneous protests and strong opposition to the Draft Bill forced the Union government to withdraw it, the rider that it will be reconsidered and processed afresh is condemnable", he added. "The DMK demands the total withdrawal of this Bill and appeals to the Union Government to respect the autonomy of the legal profession!", he said...////...