Two protests were staged in the city on Saturday condemning the serial bomb blasts in Lucknow, Faizabad and Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, that claimed several lives.

The advocates who boycotted the court proceedings held an emergency meeting at the Mysore Bar Association.

They observed silence to pay tributes to those who were killed in the incident, decided to stay away from the court proceedings and observe ‘blak day’ condemning the terror attack.

The advocates who spoke at the meeting lashed out at the attack, charging that the courts, which provide justice to all, were targetted in the bomb blasts. Defending the decision of the Faizabad Bar Association not to represent five militants in connection with the July, 2005, attack on the Ramjanmabhoomi Complex in Ayodhya, they stated that they too had arrived at a similar decicion when two ultras were arrested in the cultural capital.

They not only claimed that such a move is pretty essential in the interest of the securirty of the country, but they also charged that the government is responsible for such developments as it has resorted to appeasement of certain communities so as to secure votes. Meanwhile, they tendered apology to their clients for having boycotted the proceedings without prior notice. They also expressed regret for the inconvenience.

The activists attached to Srirama Sena held a protest in front of Mahathma Gandhiji’s bust adjacent to the District Court Complex. Sena Convenor M K Premkumar alleged that the Centre’s appeasement of the minorities is responsible for the terror attacks.