In a shocking incident, reportedly an attempt was made to throw a shoe at Chief Justice of India (CJI), BR Gavai. The accused, identified as lawyer Rakesh Kishore, was immediately detained by court staff and handed over to the police. Before the incident, Kishore was heard shouting, “Sanatan’s insult will not be tolerated.” Chief Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, as per information, remained calm throughout. He later stated that such incidents don’t affect him and encouraged the proceedings to continue.
The Delhi DCP and Supreme Court security officials are currently questioning the accused.
Supreme Court lawyer condemns incident
Supreme Court lawyer Rohit Pandey speculated that the attack was a reaction to Chief Justice BR Gavai’s alleged remarks on religious deities. “I strongly condemn this act and urge strict action against the accused,” he said.
CJI Gavai’s remarks on Lord Vishnu idol in Khajuraho sparked row
On September 16, the Supreme Court had dismissed a plea seeking directions to reconstruct and reinstall a seven-foot idol of Lord Vishnu at the Javari Temple. Turning down the plea, the court had termed it a “publicity interest litigation”.
“This is purely publicity interest litigation… Go and ask the deity himself to do something. If you are saying that you are a strong devotee of Lord Vishnu, then you pray and do some meditation,” the CJI reportedly said.
The bench said the issue squarely fell under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). “It’s an archaeological find, whether the ASI would permit such a thing to be done or not. There are various issues,” the CJI said. The CJI added, “In the meantime, if you are not averse to Shaivism, you can go and worship there. There is a very big linga of Shiva, one of the biggest in Khajuraho.”
His comments sparked widespread backlash on social media, prompting calls for clarification. The Chief Justice later explained that his words had been “misrepresented” and reiterated his respect for all religions.
