Guwahati: “Spoke to Chief Justice of India, Justice BR Gavai Ji. The attack on him earlier today in the Supreme Court premises has angered every Indian. There is no place for such reprehensible acts in our society. It is utterly condemnable. I appreciated the calm displayed by Justice Gavai in the face of such a situation. It highlights his commitment to values of justice and strengthening the spirit of our Constitution,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
That is PM Modi’s opinion on the shoe hurled at the Chief Justice of India BR Gavai by a lawyer Rakesh Kishor who has been suspended by the Bar Council of India.
The incident took place during the routine mentioning of cases before the CJI’s bench.
According to eyewitnesses, the lawyer suddenly approached the dais before security personnel quickly intervened and escorted him out of the courtroom.
As he was being removed, the lawyer shouted, “Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge” (“We will not tolerate any insult to Sanatan”). The man was later identified as Rakesh Kishore, sources confirmed.
Unperturbed by the commotion, CJI Gavai maintained his composure and directed the proceedings to continue. “Don’t get distracted by all this. We are not distracted. These things do not affect me,” he said, urging the lawyers to proceed with the day’s work.
The disruption comes in the wake of a controversy over the CJI’s remarks during a hearing last month. A bench comprising CJI Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran had declined to hear a plea seeking the restoration of a seven-foot beheaded idol of Lord Vishnu at the Javari temple, part of the Khajuraho group of monuments in Madhya Pradesh.
The petitioner, Rakesh Dalal, had argued that the idol was damaged during Mughal invasions and that authorities had failed to restore it.
The court ruled that the matter was under the purview of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), not the judiciary. During that hearing, the CJI reportedly remarked: “Go and ask the deity itself to do something now. You say you are a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. So go and pray now.”
The comment sparked outrage on social media, with some alleging that it disrespected religious sentiments. On September 18, CJI Gavai clarified his stance in open court, stating that his remarks had been misconstrued. “I respect all religions and never intended to hurt anyone’s faith,” he said.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, referring to the controversy, had warned of the growing dangers of misinformation online. “Every action now has a disproportionate social media reaction,” he observed. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal added, “We suffer every day. This is an unruly horse and there appears to be no way to tame it.”
PM attacks TMC
“The manner in which our Party colleagues, including a sitting MP and MLA, were attacked in West Bengal for serving the people affected by floods and landslides is outright appalling. It highlights the insensitivity of the TMC as well as the absolutely pathetic law and order situation in the state. I wish the West Bengal Government and TMC were more focussed on helping people rather than indulging in violence in such a challenging situation. I call upon BJP Karyakartas to continue working among the people and assist the ongoing rescue operations,” PM Modi tweeted.
Senior BJP leaders were attacked allegedly by the ruling TMC on Monday – BJP MP Khagen Murmu from Maldah Uttar and Shankar Ghosh, Siliguri MLA and party chief whip in the West Bengal assembly, were allegedly chased and assaulted at Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri district where they visited to review damages due to recent floods in the area.