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Shoe-hurling failed but CJI continues to be attacked, with ‘casteist’ posts on social media
An AI-generated video showing CJI depicted with an age-old casteist practice emerged as a prime example of the continuing abuse
After 71-year-old lawyer Rakesh Kishore tried to attack the Chief Justice BR Gavai by throwing a shoe at him in the Supreme Court, caste-coded social-media attacks continue against the country's judicial head, even as calls grow louder for exemplary action by the BJP-led central government.
By Wednesday evening, there was a ‘zero’ FIR registered against Rakesh Kishore in Congress-ruled Karnataka, and police in AAP-ruled Punjab filed multiple FIRs over some “casteist” social media posts too, naming YouTuber Ajeet Bharti among others.
Political leaders and activists sought action from the central government, too, though the CJI has chosen not press charges against Rakesh Kishore. The ‘zero’ FIR in Bengaluru means a case registered for an alleged offence committed elsewhere, in this case in Delhi. It would now be transferred to Delhi Police as per process.
The Attorney General's nod has also been sought by some activists — as mandated by law — to initiate contempt-of-court proceedings against Kishore for the attack bid, as well as against religious preacher Aniruddhacharya and right-wing influencer Ajeet Bharti for their “abusive” and “inciteful” comments.
On social media, AI used for caste abuse
For the continuing abuse by some sections on social media, Artificial Intelligence has been deployed too.
An AI-generated video showing the CJI with a blue face and an earthen pot hanging around his neck — depicting an age-old casteist practice whereby Dalits were not meant to let their spit touch the ground — emerged as a prime example of the continuing abuse.
BR Gavai is only the second CJI who's a Dalit, and the first from the Buddhist faith. He comes from a family of Ambedkarite thinkers and activists.
The apparently insulting video was posted just about four hours after the lawyer's shoe-hurling attempt was reported on October 6, and continued to be online from the X account by the name Kikki Singh (@singh_kikki) as of 8 pm on October 8. It was re-shared over 2,300 times, liked over 5,000 times, and seen by nearly 800,000 people so far.
Referencing his caste background, controversial YouTubers and influencers like Ajeet Bharti, with lakhs of followers, made more posts blaming the CJI and praising the attacker, who has been unapologetic. Ajeet Bharti was questioned by the Noida Police but not booked or arrested on Tuesday, but Punjab Police filed an FIR against him on Wednesday.
‘Why no action by police on attacker?’
On the day of the shoe-attack bid, Prime Minister Narendra spoke to the CJI and condemned the incident as one that “angered every Indian”.
Multiple leaders from opposition parties have since questioned why Delhi Police did not act on their own, no matter that the CJI chose not to press charges.
Attacker Rakesh Kishore has since been at home, giving interviews justifying his act.
He has cited “insult to Hinduism” as the trigger for his act, blaming the CJI's remarks during a recent case hearing about a Hindu idol. The CJI had already clarified he did not mean any disrespect, and has since said social media kicked up the row.
Also read | What CJI said amid row over his Lord Vishnu remark
But Kishore listed a host of other grouses too, all feeding into his theory that Hindus are not getting justice while others are.
Among political leaders, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal — whose party is in power in Punjab where FIRs have now been registered — posted on X that the shoe-hurling “sent a chilling message to the entire judiciary”.
“If anyone can get away with throwing shoe at CJI, then what to talk of other judges. Are other judges safe?” his post read, while noting that Justice Gavai showed “greatness” in not wanting a case against Kishore.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also said on Wednesday: “If such an ideology exists among the lawyers of the Supreme Court, it is an insult to the Constitution. The ideology that does not consider a human being as human is not in accordance with the Constitution. Those who talk of depriving people of their fundamental rights in the name of Manusmriti should be punished.”
‘Being threatened with impunity’
Kejriwal claimed, “The manner in which Justice Gavai is being mocked and threatened on social media with impunity by their supporters, this seems to be a pre planned and systematic attempt to browbeat and force entire judiciary into submission.” The AAP has attacked the ruling BJP and its ideological parent RSS over the issue.
“The man who attempted to throw the shoe and those threatening and mocking CJI MUST be given exemplary punishment so that noone in future dares to mess with judiciary,” the former Delhi CM further posted.
Watch | ‘If shoe-thrower's name was not Rakesh…’: Owaisi tears into PM over CJI ‘shoe attack’ bid
Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also alleged casteism in why the Delhi Police under the central government did not file a suo motu case. He contrasted the “shamelessness” of Rakesh Kishore with the police action against Muslims protesting the removal of an ‘I Love Muhammad’ banner in UP's Bareilly recently.
Kishore also mentioned Bareilly in his list of grouses against the CJI, saying the judge and the SC should not have spoken against “bulldozer justice” by CM Yogi Adityanath.
There were, meanwhile, protests outside Kishore's Mayur Vihar home in Delhi; and some other cities also saw demonstrations by lawyers and Dalit groups.
The Modi government has so far not made further statements after condemning the incident, as of 10 pm on October 8.
