NEW DELHI, Oct 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to Chief Justice of India B R Gavai to convey his condemnation of a lawyer’s attempt to hurl a shoe at him, and said the attack has angered every Indian.
“There is no place for such reprehensible acts in our society,” he said and praised Gavai for maintaining calm following the incident.
Modi posted on X, “Spoke to Chief Justice of India, Justice B R 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.” He added, “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.” In a shocking security breach, a 71-year-old lawyer attempted to hurl a shoe towards CJI Gavai in his courtroom in the Supreme Court on Monday, prompting the Bar Council of India to suspend his licence with immediate effect.
Police sources said a note, containing the slogan “Sanatan dharma ka apmaan nahi sahega Hindustan” (India will not tolerate insults to Sanatan Dharma), was recovered from his possession.The CJI, who remained unfazed during and after the unprecedented incident during the court proceedings, asked the court officials and the security personnel present inside the courtroom to just ignore it and to let off the errant lawyer identified as Rakesh Kishore with a warning.
CONGRESS CONDEMNS ATTACK ON CJI
The Congress on Monday condemned the attack on Chief Justice of India B R Gavai as shameful and said the “mindless act” shows how hate and fanaticism have engulfed society.
The opposition party also termed the incident a shocking breach of decorum and a dangerous new low in India’s democratic history, claiming it to be an assault on the judiciary and the Constitution. The Congress said this was not merely an attack on one individual but was the outcome of a sustained campaign to undermine institutions and intimidate dissenting voices.Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in a statement, said that it was not just an attack on the CJI but on our Constitution.
“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,” she said.
In a post on X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the attack was an assault on the dignity of the judiciary and the spirit of the Constitution.
“Such hatred has no place in our nation and must be condemned,” he said.Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, “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.” In a post on X, he said that it was disturbing that a sitting judge, who rose to the nation’s highest judicial office through merit, integrity, and perseverance, was targeted in such a manner.
“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,” the Congress president said. (PTI)
