New Delhi: With polling for two more phases of Lok Sabha polls left, Congress President Rahul Gandhi Wednesday said time for change has come and that "time was up" for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Gandhi claimed that young and the old are voting in large numbers for NYAY, the Congress' "Nyuntam Aay Yojna" (minimum income guarantee scheme) to eradicate poverty, noting it showed how powerful the idea was.

The Congress has announced that under the scheme, the party, if voted to power, will give Rs 72,000 per year to 20 per cent poorest families in the country.

"Across India, it's not just young people who are coming out in large numbers to vote for NYAY; older more experienced voters too have understood how powerful the idea is.

"Modi Ji, your time is up. The time for change has come," he said on Twitter.

The Congress had announced last month 'Ab Hoga Nyay' as its battle cry for the Lok Sabha polls and launched a campaign centred around the theme of 'justice' while alluding to the party's proposed minimum income scheme.

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New Delhi (PTI): The Bar Council of India on Wednesday sought the urgent intervention of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant following a "deeply disturbing" incident where a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court reportedly sent a young advocate to

24-hour judicial custody over a procedural lapse.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairperson and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, in a formal representation, termed the conduct of Justice Tarlada Rajasekhar Rao "grossly inappropriate" and "damaging to the confidence of the Bar".

“I most respectfully request your Lordship to kindly take immediate institutional cognizance of the matter and call for the video recording of the proceedings, the order passed, and the surrounding circumstances.

“I further request that appropriate administrative action may kindly be considered, including withdrawal of judicial work from the learned Judge pending review, his immediate transfer to some far off High Court, and his nomination for appropriate judicial training/orientation on court management, judicial temperament, Bar-Bench relations, and proportional exercise of contempt/judicial authority,” Mishra wrote.

This representation is made to preserve the “dignity, moral authority and public confidence of the judiciary”, he said, adding, “Judges command the highest respect not by fear, but by fairness, patience, restraint and constitutional humility”.

The communication urged the CJI to intervene at the earliest to ensure that the faith of Bar, particularly young advocates, in the protective and corrective role of the judiciary is restored.

The controversy stems from proceedings on May 5.

According to the BCI, a video circulating online shows Justice Rao rebuking a young advocate who was unable to produce a specific order copy during a hearing.

The letter said that despite the advocate "repeatedly seeking pardon and mercy" and claiming he was in physical pain, the judge remained "unmoved".

The judge allegedly told the lawyer, "now you will learn," and mocked his experience before directing the Registrar and police personnel to take him into custody for 24 hours.

The BCI chairperson said that the judge’s actions lacked proportionality and fairness.

"The dignity of the court is not enhanced when a lawyer is made to beg for grace in open court and is still sent to custody for a procedural lapse," the letter said.

"A young lawyer... is an officer of the Court, still learning, still growing, and entitled to correction without humiliation," it added.

The bar body said that such actions create a "chilling effect" on the legal fraternity, particularly among junior members, and undermine the mutual respect required between the Bench and the Bar.