CJI Gavai remained unaffected by the incident and carried on with the hearing and said, "I am the last person to be affected by such things."
Published Oct 06, 2025 | 5:52 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 06, 2025 | 5:58 PM
Chief Justice of India BR Gavai. Credit: www.sci.gov.in, iStock
Synopsis: A 71-year-old Delhi-based lawyer, Rakesh Kishore, allegedly threw a shoe at CJI BR Gavai in the Supreme Court, protesting his remarks on a Khajuraho temple plea. Political leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Pinarayi Vijayan, and MK Stalin, and Siddaramaiah condemned the act, citing intolerance and fanaticism.
A 71-year-old lawyer, Rakesh Kishore, allegedly hurled a shoe at Chief Justice of India BR Gavai inside the Supreme Court on 6 October, Monday.
Delhi Police reported that the incident occurred at around 11:35 am in Court No 1. Kishore, a Mayur Vihar resident and Supreme Court Bar Association member, was later apprehended by security.
Initial probe suggest Kishore was unhappy with the CJI’s remarks during a recent hearing concerning the restoration of a Lord Vishnu idol at the Khajuraho Temple complex in Madhya Pradesh. While being escorted out, he reportedly shouted, “Sanatan dharma ka apmaan nahi sahega Hindustan (India will not tolerate the insult of Sanatan dharma).”
There are clear social dimensions to an attack on Dalit CJI when a lawyer attempted to throw a shoe at him. It is an assault on his dignity.
— Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) October 6, 2025
Meanwhile, CJI Gavai, who has Z-plus security from Delhi Police, remained composed and urged lawyers to proceed. Unfazed Gavai carried on with the court hearing and said, “I am the last person to be affected by such things.”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the incident and termed it “unprecedented, shameful and abhorrent”.
“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. It reflects an attempt to intimidate and humiliate a man who has broken social barriers to uphold the Constitution,” Kharge’s tweet read.
“Such mindless act shows how hate, fanaticism and bigotry has engulfed our society in the past decade,” he added.
An attempt to attack the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India in the Supreme Court today is unprecedented, shameful and abhorrent. It is an attack on the dignity of our Judiciary and the rule of law.
When a sitting Chief Justice who rose to the nation’s highest judicial office through…
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) October 6, 2025
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan too joined the chorus and expressed his displeasure over the turn of events in the Supreme Court. He called it the “reflection of the hatred spread by the Sangh Parivar”.
“Strongly condemn the attempted attack on Chief Justice B.R. Gavai in the Supreme Court. This alarming incident is 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 this divisive and venomous politics that must be confronted without hesitation.”
Strongly condemn the attempted attack on Chief Justice B.R. Gavai in the Supreme Court. This alarming incident is 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…
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) October 6, 2025
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin called for “strongest condemnation” of the attack on CJI Gavai.
“The manner in which the Hon’ble CJI responded with grace, calm and magnanimity shows the strength of the institution, but that cannot make us take the incident lightly. The reason revealed by the attacker for his act shows how deeply the oppressive and hierarchical mindset still lingers in our society. We must nurture a culture that respects and protects our institutions and demonstrates maturity in our conduct.”
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah sought “immediate legal action” against the lawyer for insulting “both the Chief Justice and the judiciary”.
“I wish to assure Hon’ble Chief Justice Gavai that he is not alone. Crores of secular and democratic citizens who uphold the values of the Constitution stand firmly by his side. The Chief Justice does not represent any religion or political party. From that perspective, I appeal to people across all castes, faiths, and political affiliations to unequivocally condemn this disgraceful act in one voice.”
I strongly condemn the incident in which a lawyer attempted to throw a shoe at the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice B.R. Gavai. Immediate legal action must be taken against the unruly lawyer who sought to insult both the Chief Justice and the judiciary.…
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) October 6, 2025
On 16 September, presiding alongside Justice K Vinod Chandran, CJI Gavai dismissed a plea for reconstructing a dilapidated 7-foot Vishnu idol at the Javari Temple in Khajuraho, stating, “This 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.”
CJI Gavai later clarified, “I believe in all the religions, I respect all the (religions),” stressing that his comments were in the context of the Archaeological Survey of India’s jurisdiction over the temple’s upkeep.
(Curated by Amit Vasudev)
