The lawyer has drawn strong criticism from the legal fraternity and political leaders particularly since CJI Gavai belongs to the Dalit community
BENGALURU — A senior BJP leader and former Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao has triggered outrage after he publicly praised the “courage” of the man who hurled a shoe at Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai inside the Supreme Court on October 6.
Rakesh Kishore, a 71-year-old advocate allegedly threw a shoe at Chief Justice during a hearing. The shoe however, did not reach the bench, and the man was immediately taken into custody.
The accused was reportedly upset over recent remarks made by the CJI during a PIL hearing on the restoration of a Lord Vishnu idol at the Khajuraho Temple complex in Madhya Pradesh.
Defending his actions, Kishore claimed he was following divine will. “Whatever my Lord made me do, I did. I didn’t act on my own. It was the Lord’s will. There is a message behind what happened, and I will explain it,” he said.
Referring to the lawyer’s conduct inside the courtroom, BJP leader Bhaskar Rao said in a social media post, “Even if it is legally and terribly wrong, I admire your courage, at your age, to take a stand and live by it, irrespective of consequences,”
The Bar Council of India has suspended Kishore debarring him from appearing, acting, pleading or practising in any court, tribunal or authority across India until further notice.
Beside suspension by the Bar Council, the lawyer has drawn strong criticism from the legal fraternity and political leaders particularly since CJI Gavai belongs to the Dalit community, and the attack is being seen by many as having caste overtones.
Senior advocate Indira Jaising called for a thorough investigation into the incident. “The lawyer must be named, and legal action taken against him. This appears to be a blatant casteist attack on the Supreme Court of India. It deserves to be condemned by all judges of the Supreme Court by a united press statement that ideological attacks will not be tolerated by the court,” she said in a post on X.
Jaising also praised Chief Justice Gavai’s composure during the episode, noting, “Befitting the court’s dignity, CJI Gavai went about judicial work with no visible disturbance.”
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday strongly condemned the incident, terming it an assault not merely on an individual but on the Constitution itself.
“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,” Sonia Gandhi said in a statement.
Rahul Gandhi termed it as the “assault on the spirit of the Constitution,” he said that such hatred has no place in India and such incidents must be condemned.
Kishore also objected to the CJI’s recent criticism of “bulldozer justice,” interpreting it as a veiled attack on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s actions against illegal encroachments.
