New Delhi, June 29 -- The Bar Council of India (BCI) has issued a detailed response to the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF), rejecting its claim of representing the collective voice of the Indian legal fraternity and calling out its opposition to the regulated entry of foreign law firms into India.

In a strongly worded statement, the BCI stated that SILF represents less than 2% of the country's 15,000+ law firms and functions as a private, self-appointed body with no statutory or democratic authority. Describing SILF as an elite group shielding narrow commercial interests, the BCI stated it does not speak for the broader legal community.

Reinforcing its mandate under the Advocates Act, 1961, the BCI clarified that it is the sole statu...