Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reacted to a shoe being hurled at Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai in the Supreme Court, saying that the incident “has angered every Indian”.
In a social media post, Modi said that he spoke to CJI Gavai and appreciated his calm in the face of such a situation. He also called the incident “utterly condemnable”.
“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,” PM Modi wrote on X.
The attack came over the CJI's recent remarks in a case about placing a an old idol in the Hindu temple complex at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh.
The incident took place earlier on Monday when a bench led by the CJI BR Gavai was hearing the mentioning of cases by lawyers.
{{/usCountry}}The incident took place earlier on Monday when a bench led by the CJI BR Gavai was hearing the mentioning of cases by lawyers.
{{/usCountry}}The lawyer, identified as 71-year-old Rakesh Kishore, approached the dais, removed his shoe, and tried to throw it towards the judge. However, the security personnel immediately intervened and escorted him out of the court premises, preventing the attack.
When he was being taken away, the lawyer was heard shouting, “Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge (We will not tolerate any insult to Sanatan).”
Police later let him go as the CJI and SC decided not to press charges.
The Supreme Court Bar Association has suspended the lawyer's licence for practice. Leaders from across the political spectrum condemned the hurling of a shoe on CJI Gavai.
Reactions on Supreme Court incident
Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has condemned the incident in the Supreme Court on Monday, calling for the nation to stand in solidarity with CJI BR Gavai "unitedly with a deep sense of anguish and outrage.”
“No words are adequate to condemn the attack on the Honourable Chief Justice of India in the Supreme Court itself. It is an assault not just on him but on our Constitution as well. Chief Justice Gavai has been very gracious, but the nation must stand in solidarity with him unitedly with a deep sense of anguish and outrage,” Sonia Gandhi's statement read.
The leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called the attack “an assault on the dignity of our judiciary and the spirit of our Constitution.”
“The attack on the Chief Justice of India is an assault on the dignity of our judiciary and the spirit of our Constitution. Such hatred has no place in our nation and must be condemned,” the Congress MP wrote on X.
Senior lawyer and former union law minister Kapil Sibal said that the attack “must be publicly condemned”.
“The uncivilised behaviour of a member of the Supreme Court Bar must be publicly condemned by one and all since it is an affront to the majesty of the court,” the former Supreme Court Bar Association president wrote on X.