📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Hossam el-Hamalawy
Politics
Lawyers in Gujarat Begin Indefinite Strike Over New Rent Bill, Protests Erupt in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat
✍️ Bhaskar English
🗓 05 Oct 2026, 12:45 PM
👁 10
The passage of Gujarat's new Rent Bill has prompted lawyers across the state to launch an indefinite strike, with large protests reported in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat.
The Gujarat government’s recently enacted Rent Bill has sparked immediate backlash from the legal community, leading the state’s bar associations to announce an indefinite strike. Lawyers argue that several provisions of the legislation undermine tenant rights and could increase litigation burdens for the courts.
On Monday, thousands of lawyers gathered outside district courts in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat, holding placards and chanting slogans demanding the repeal of the bill. Organisers reported that the protests remained largely peaceful, though traffic in the vicinity of the courts was temporarily disrupted.
The Gujarat High Court has scheduled a hearing to examine petitions filed by the bar council challenging the bill’s constitutionality. Meanwhile, the state’s law minister has called for dialogue, stating that the government is willing to consider amendments but will not suspend the law’s implementation.
Legal experts warn that a prolonged strike could delay civil proceedings, affecting both litigants and the judiciary’s docket. Authorities are monitoring the situation closely as negotiations continue.
On Monday, thousands of lawyers gathered outside district courts in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat, holding placards and chanting slogans demanding the repeal of the bill. Organisers reported that the protests remained largely peaceful, though traffic in the vicinity of the courts was temporarily disrupted.
The Gujarat High Court has scheduled a hearing to examine petitions filed by the bar council challenging the bill’s constitutionality. Meanwhile, the state’s law minister has called for dialogue, stating that the government is willing to consider amendments but will not suspend the law’s implementation.
Legal experts warn that a prolonged strike could delay civil proceedings, affecting both litigants and the judiciary’s docket. Authorities are monitoring the situation closely as negotiations continue.