The National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, has cancelled the convocation for the graduating batch of 2026, citing “unavoidable circumstances”, Bar and Bench reported on Thursday.The cancellation came against the backdrop of opposition from more than 700 NLSIU students and alumni to the Chief Justice Surya Kant and Bar Council of India Chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra attending the convocation, the legal news outlet reported.The students from the law college had also condemned the Bar Council of India’s now-withdrawn action against the outgoing National Academy of Legal Studies and Research batch and demanded an unconditional apology from the regulatory body.The statement had expressed solidarity with NALSAR students and faculty over two letters issued by the council on August 13. It had directed state bar councils to defer the enrolment of NALSAR’s graduating batch as advocates, objecting to a campaign by some students against the university inviting Kant to attend their convocation.The council withdrew the decision a few hours later, but said that it had sought an inquiry report from the university identifying those who were “principally instrumental” in opposing Kant’s participation in the convocation.Later in the night, the council closed all proceedings against the students, saying it was satisfied that the 2026 batch had no role in any “disturbance or movement”.NALSAR had invited the chief justice for the upcoming convocation despite students urging the university to reconsider the decision, citing Kant’s response to a petition alleging that police had used excessive force against protesters in Delhi on July 20.On July 22, a bench headed by the chief justice refused to urgently hear a petition about police excesses against protesters. “Don’t waste our time and don’t waste your time,” Kant had been quoted as having told the petitioners at the time.When the lawyer for the petitioners said that he could present video evidence of the police excesses, the chief justice had said the bench was “not interested” in watching them.Referring to the remarks, the students had told the university authorities that it did not sit right to receive their degrees from a dignitary whose recent public conduct appeared dismissive of serious allegations of police brutality against protesting citizens.Edited by Nachiket Deuskar.