Chennai, Feb 25 : Most of the lawyers including government advocates preferred to stay away from the first day of resumption in the Madras High Court proceedings after it was ordered to be closed by acting Chief Justice S J Mukhopathaya following a police-lawyers clash in the court premises.

The judges kept sitting in empty court halls here on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the fast by the advocates demanding action against police continued on the third day today.

However, these protests were highly criticised by the Supreme Court today.

Chennai, Feb 24 : Striking lawyers today boycotted their first round meeting with the Tamil Nadu Government.

State Law Minister Duraimurugan had called for two meetings with DGP KP Jain and Madras Police Commissioner K Raadhakrishnan also in attendance.

On Monday, around 300 lawyers went on a day-long fast in front of the Madras High Court, a day after their associations decided to indefinitely boycott courts to press for their demands.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had also advanced the hearing of Madras High Court lawyers strike from February 25 to 27.

Chennai, Feb 20 : Over 150 lawyers were arrested on Friday for participating in a protest march outside the Tamil Nadu secretariat. They were agitating against the violence in the Madras High Court complex on Thursday.

Madras Bar Association President S. Prabhakaran was also arrested.

Earlier, the lawyers' agitation issue dominated proceedings in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

As soon as the session started, opposition members demanded that the Question Hour be postponed to discuss Thursday's violence in which more than 100 lawyers were injured.

Chennai, Feb 20: The issue of violent clashes between lawyers and police in the Madras High Court rocked Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday.

As soon as the proceedings started, opposition members demanded that Question Hour be postponed to discuss Thursday''s violence in which more than 100 lawyers were injured.

Speaker R Avudiyappan declined to postpone the question hour, saying he would consider the matter later even as the members of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) staged a walk out, followed by Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Communist Party of India (CPI) and CPI-M members.

Meanwhile, the Madras High Court has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Thursday''s violence.

Chennai, Feb 20 : The Madras High Court has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Thursday''s violence in which more than 100 lawyers were injured.

A holiday has been declared in all Tamil Nadu courts today.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has sought the co-operation of the acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court to find out the main reason behind the incident.

In a letter to Justice S J Mukhopadhayay, the Chief Minister said he is deputing the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and DGP to search the reasons for the outbreak of violence.

Over 100 lawyers were injured outside the Madras High Court after the police lathicharged them for attacking Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy.

Chennai, Feb 16 : Siritunga Jayasuriya, a leader of Sri Lanka''s United Socialist Party, now on a visit to India, said that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), will retaliate if the Sri Lankan army continues the military war against them.

He asserted this in the course of an exclusive interview with ANI here on Sunday by contending the military action against the LTTE is not the permanent solution unlike a dialogue between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE.

Siritunga Jayasuriya said that winning the war by military means would not be an end to the Tamil problem. It will only strengthen Prabhakaran or the LTTE.