Attack On CJI Angered Every Indian: Modi

New Delhi: In presumably a first-of-its-kind breach of decorum during a Supreme Court hearing, a 71-year-old lawyer allegedly attempted to hurl a shoe towards Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, who was presiding the bench on Monday, eliciting condemnations from the solicitor-general, Bar bodies and Opposition leaders who termed the incident as a pointer to how hate and fanaticism had engulfed society.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Justice Gavai and said the attack on him has angered every Indian. “There is no place for such reprehensible acts in our society. It is utterly condemnable,” Modi said, appreciating the calm displayed by the CJI.

Later in the day, the Bar Council of India ordered the immediate suspension of the accused lawyer from the Bar body.

Unfazed by the misconduct, the CJI, who enjoys “Z-plus” protection, continued hearing the mentioning of cases and told the lawyers: “Don’t get distracted by all this. We are not distracted. These things do not affect me.”

The incident occurred when a bench comprising the CJI and Justice K. Vinod Chandran was hearing the mentioning of cases by lawyers.

The lawyer, identified as Rakesh Kishor, 71, is a resident of Mayur Vihar in East Delhi.

He approached the dais, removed his sports shoe and tried to throw it towards the judges. Alert security personnel present inside the courtroom, however, immediately intervened and prevented the attack. The lawyer was then swiftly escorted out of the court premises.

As he was being taken away, the lawyer was reportedly heard shouting, “Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge” (We will not tolerate insults to Sanatan Dharma).

According to sources, the police are coordinating with the registrar-general of the Supreme Court and conducting further investigation into the matter. Details about the exact motive behind the lawyer's act are awaited.

Reacting to the unsavoury incident, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi said: “No words are adequate to condemn the attack on the CJI 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,” Mrs Gandhi said in a statement.

Condemning the act, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said: “An attempt to attack the CJI is unprecedented, shameful and abhorrent. It is an attack on the dignity of our judiciary and the rule of law. It reflects an attempt to intimidate and humiliate a man who has broken social barriers to uphold the Constitution. Such a mindless act shows how hate, fanaticism and bigotry has engulfed our society in the past decade.”

“On behalf of the Congress, I condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms. The safety and security of our judiciary is paramount. Let justice and reason prevail, not intimidation,” Kharge said in a social media post.

Solicitor-general Tushar Mehta dubbed the act as “unfortunate and condemnable”, calling it a result of misinformation and an attempt at cheap publicity. “Today's incident in the Chief Justice’s court is unfortunate and deserves condemnation. This is the result of misinformation in social media. It is really heartening that the Chief Justice of India reacted with magnanimity… I only hope that this magnanimity is not treated by others as the weakness of the institution,” the top law officer said.

“I have personally seen the Chief Justice visiting the religious places of all religions with full reverence. The Chief Justice has also clarified his position. It is not understood what prompted one miscreant to do what he did today. It appears to be an act of some attention seeker wanting cheap publicity,” Mehta added.

Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal posted on X: “The uncivilised behaviour of a member of the Supreme Court Bar must be publicly condemned by one and all since it is affront to the majesty of the court. The silence of the PM, the home minister and the law minister is, to say the least, surprising.”

NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar said it was not just an assault on the judiciary, but a grave insult to the Constitution as well.

In a statement, the CPI(M) said: “The incident is yet another example of the Manuvadi and communal venom injected into society by Hindutva communal forces. It also reflects the Sangh Parivar’s intolerance and unwillingness to accept any opinion that does not conform to their ideology.”

The Bar Council’s action came hours after the unprecedented incident took place at around 11.35 am in the courtroom. Issuing the interim suspension order, BCI chief Manan Kumar Mishra said the advocate's act was “prima facie inconsistent with the dignity of the court” and in clear violation of the professional conduct rules prescribed under the Advocates Act 1961 and Bar Council of India Rules.

The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association too passed a unanimous resolution, strongly condemning the incident. SCAORA, headed by Vipin Nair, described the incident as a “disrespectful and intemperate gesture” by an advocate.

The incident could be linked to the lawyer’s unhappiness over the CJI’s remarks during a hearing last month concerning the restoration of a Vishnu idol in the Unesco World Heritage Khajuraho temple complex in Madhya Pradesh.

A bench headed by the CJI had dismissed the plea seeking directions to reconstruct and reinstall a seven-foot idol of Lord Vishnu at the Javari temple, Khajuraho. Terming the plea “publicity interest litigation”, the CJI had said: “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.”

Taking note of the online criticism of his comments, the CJI later said that he respects “all religions”.

“Someone told me the other day that the comments I made have been portrayed in social media… I respect all religions,” he had said on September 18.