Lawyers Boycott Courts in Tirupati, Demand Repeal of AP Land Titling Act

 Tirupati: Lawyers in Tirupati boycotted court duties and organised a human chain protest here on Wednesday, demanding that the Andhra Pradesh government repeal the controversial land titling Act.

Under the banner of the Tirupati Bar Association, dozens of lawyers marched from the court premises to the NTR Statue at Town Club Circle, where they formed a human chain. This marks the lawyers’ ongoing protest against the Act, which started on December 1.

The Bar Association alleges that the Act, which aims to give land rights to the landless poor, will instead enable legally untrained revenue officials to make arbitrary decisions on land disputes. They say this undermines existing legal protections and poses a danger to landowners’ rights.

“This Act will become a curse, so it must be repealed immediately before untold damage is done,” said G. Venkata Kumar, president of the Tirupati Bar Association. Association members have been boycotting court duties for nearly three weeks. Kumar said the protests would continue statewide until the controversial legislation is repealed.

The lawyers claim the Act will make it easier for land encroachment and irregularities. They argue that giving judicial powers to revenue officers without legal training would create more problems.  Further protests are planned in Tirupati over the next two days, including a bike rally and petitions to statues of national icons Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.