Twenty senior advocates from Delhi and Mumbai wrote to Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, a day before the top court took suo motu cognizance of the plight of migrant workers stuck in different parts of the country.

In the letter, the advocates said the top court’s unwillingness to hold the government to account will severely erode its constitutional role and status as the guardian of the fundament rights of the people. The letter was signed by senior lawyers from Delhi and Mumbai. The Delhi-based lawyers who are signatories to the letter include P Chidambaram, Anand Grover, Indira Jaising, Mohan Katarki, Siddarth Luthra, Santosh Paul, Mahalaxmi Pavani, Kapil Sibal, Chander Uday Singh, Vikas Singh and Prashant Bhushan.

From Mumbai, senior advocates Iqbal Chagla, Aspi Chinoy, Mihir Desai, Janak Dwarkadas, Rajani Iyer, Yusuf Muchhala, Rajiv Patil, Navroz Seervai, Gayatri Singh and Sanjay Singhvi are signatories to the letter.