A day after he attempted to hurl a shoe at Chief Justice of India Justice B.R. Gavai inside the Supreme Court, 71-year-old lawyer Rakesh Kishore on Tuesday stood by his actions, claiming that he was “deeply hurt” by the CJI’s earlier comments in a case linked to a religious issue.
The Bar Council of India responded swiftly, suspending Kishore’s licence with immediate effect.
The incident occurred on Monday morning during the mentioning of cases before a bench headed by the Chief Justice.
According to eyewitnesses, Kishore suddenly moved toward the dais, took off his shoe, and tried to throw it in the direction of the judges. Court security personnel intervened in time and prevented the object from being hurled.
Kishore Says Act Was Reaction, Not Impulse
Speaking to the media a day later, Kishore insisted he acted out of pain, not malice. “The CJI should remember the dignity of his post and understand what the term ‘Milord’ stands for,” he said.
He took exception to Justice Gavai’s remarks during a recent speech in Mauritius, where the Chief Justice said India must be governed by “the rule of law, not the rule of the bulldozer.” Kishore questioned that comment, saying, “You go abroad and say that the country will not run with a bulldozer. Is Yogi ji’s action against illegal encroachments wrong then?”
He added that his actions stemmed from a previous hearing in the CJI’s court on September 16, where a public interest litigation on a religious matter was, according to him, mocked. “The Chief Justice said, ‘Go pray to the idol and ask it to restore its own head.’ I was deeply hurt by those words,” Kishore said.
Earlier this month, Justice Gavai, while addressing the Sir Maurice Rault Memorial Lecture 2025 in Mauritius, stressed that India’s justice system must uphold the rule of law. Referring to his November 2024 judgment, he said bulldozer demolitions carried out without due process violated citizens’ rights under Article 21. “The executive can’t assume the roles of judge, jury, and executioner simultaneously,” he had said.
‘Bias Against Sanatan Issues,’ Says Kishore
Kishore accused the judiciary of being inconsistent in its approach to religious matters. “When it comes to cases related to our Sanatan Dharma — be it Jallikattu or Dahi Handi — some restrictive order always comes from the Supreme Court,” he claimed. He also cited the Haldwani encroachment case and the Nupur Sharma case, alleging that the court’s attitude changes depending on the community involved.
‘I Have No Regrets’
The lawyer maintained that he neither acted under the influence nor regrets his behaviour. “It’s not like I was drunk or on medication. I was disturbed and acted in the heat of emotion. It was a reaction, not a planned act,” he said.
Describing himself as a “simple, honest person” with no prior cases or affiliations, Kishore added, “Although I am against violence, people must ask what drove someone like me to this point.”
Kishore, who claims to hold MSc, PhD, and LLB degrees, made controversial remarks about the Chief Justice’s caste and faith, saying, “He was a Sanatani Hindu first and later followed Buddhism. This is about mindset, not identity.”
Nationwide Outrage & Condemnation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the incident, calling it “utterly reprehensible.” “The attack on Chief Justice Gavai has angered every Indian. There is no place for such acts in our society. I appreciate the calm displayed by the CJI in the face of provocation,” the PM wrote on X after speaking to the Chief Justice.
The Supreme Court Bar Association also passed a resolution denouncing the lawyer’s conduct, describing it as an unacceptable affront to judicial decorum.
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