Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai on Thursday responded to the ‘shoe attack’ on him in the Supreme Court premises amid pouring public outrage over it, saying that he was “very shocked with what happened”.
Speaking on the issue during a courtroom exchange, CJI also called it a “forgotten chapter” for him.
“My learned brother and I were very shocked with what happened on Monday…..For us, it is a forgotten chapter,” CJI BR Gavai said.
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, who was also on the bench, strongly disapproved of the attack, stating, “I have my own views on this. He is the Chief Justice of India; it’s not a matter of joke! I am not apologetic thereafter; it’s an affront to the institution.”
Justice Bhuyan was apparently referring to the CJI’s decision to refrain from pursuing further legal action against the offender, a 71-year-old lawyer named Rakesh Kishore.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was also present, condemned the attack. “That was unpardonable,” he said, adding that the CJI’s “majesty and magnanimity” in treating the incident as closed was “commendable.”
There has been a huge public outrage over the attempted attack since Monday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and several others condemning the attack. PM Modi also personally spoke to CJI Gavai on the day of the attack.
Several Ambedkarite organisations on Thursday staged a protest in Maharashtra’s Thane over the attempted attack, calling the incident an “insult of the judiciary and an assault on the constitutional values”.
The ‘shoe attack’ on CJI BR Gavai
The incident inside Court No.1 on Monday unfolded during the mention of cases when 71-year-old lawyer Rakesh Kishore approached the dais, attempted to remove his shoe, and was swiftly restrained by security personnel. As he was escorted out, he shouted, “Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge” (We will not tolerate any insult to Sanatan).
The CJI, unfazed, asked those present to continue with the day’s proceedings. “Don’t get distracted by all this. We are not distracted. These things do not affect me,” he said. Later, when court staff sought instructions, the CJI told them to “just ignore” the incident and not press charges, following which Kishore was detained, questioned for several hours, and released.
According to Delhi Police, Kishore, a temporary member of the Supreme Court Bar Association and a member of the Shahdara Bar Association, was upset over the CJI’s remarks during a recent hearing concerning the restoration of a beheaded Lord Vishnu idol at the Javari temple in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.
A day after the attempted attack, Kishore said he was “merely one of the foot soldiers of Sanatana Dharma” who acted on “divine instructions” and expressed no regret for his actions. He also brushed aside the fact that the Bar Council of India (BCI) suspended him in the wake of the incident.
Speaking to HT, Kishore said, “There are several followers of Sanatana Dharma, and I am one of the foot soldiers who was directed to carry out this act on the instructions of the divine powers.”
