‘Exposes danger of venomous politics’: Politicians slam attack on CJI

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described the incident as “an attack on our judiciary and the rule of law”.

The attempted shoe attack on Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai during a Supreme Court proceeding on Monday has drawn strong condemnation from political leaders across the country, who called it an assault on the judiciary and the Constitution itself.

Around 700 personnel have been deployed outside SC for security. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described the incident as “an attack on our judiciary and the rule of law”. “When a sitting Chief Justice who rose to the nation’s highest judicial office through merit, integrity, and perseverance is targeted in such a manner, it sends a deeply disturbing message,” Kharge said. “It reflects an attempt to intimidate and humiliate a man who has broken social barriers to uphold the Constitution. The safety and security of our judiciary is paramount.”

The incident occurred during the mentioning of cases before the CJI’s Bench, when a lawyer, identified as Rakesh Kishore, attempted to remove his shoe and hurl it at the Chief Justice. Unfazed, CJI Gavai urged lawyers to continue proceedings. “Don’t get distracted by all this… These things do not affect me,” he said.

Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi said the act “was an assault not just on him but on our Constitution as well”. “Chief Justice Gavai has been very gracious, but the nation must stand united with him in anguish and outrage,” she said.

Kerala chief minister and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Pinarayi Vijayan termed the incident a reflection of “the hatred spread by the Sangh Parivar”. “To dismiss it as an individual act is to ignore the growing climate of intolerance. When communal fanaticism dares to target even the Chief Justice of India, it exposes the grave danger of divisive and venomous politics,” he wrote on X.

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin called it a “shameful act deserving the strongest condemnation”. “The reason revealed by the attacker shows how deeply the oppressive and hierarchical mindset still lingers in our society. We must nurture a culture that respects and protects our institutions,” he said.

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, too, called the act “an unacceptable assault on the sanctity of the judiciary and the rule of law”. “Such acts of violence, regardless of motive, are a direct threat to our democracy and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” he said.

The Trinamool Congress also condemned the incident, with a party MP saying, “The BJP and its IT army have created a culture of demonising individuals through violent language and nasty hashtags. This online violence is now translating into real-world attacks.”