New Delhi: An ugly scene was witnessed in the Supreme Court on Monday when a lawyer tried to remove his shoe and hurl it at Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai during court proceedings.
This happened when cases were being mentioned before the CJI. The lawyer allegedly approached the dais and was in the process of removing his shoe when security personnel intervened and escorted him out of the courtroom.
While being taken away, the lawyer, identified as Rakesh Kishore, could be heard shouting: “Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge (We will not tolerate any insult to Sanatan).”
CJI Gavai was unfazed by the incident though and urged the lawyers present to carry on with the day’s proceedings. “Don’t get distracted by all this. We are not distracted. These things do not affect me,” he said.
While it is not known what exactly provoked this kind of behaviour from a lawyer, a controversy had recently erupted over the CJI’s reported comments during a hearing on September.
The bench of CJI Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran had declined to entertain a plea filed by one Rakesh Dalal, seeking directions to restore a seven-foot beheaded idol of Lord Vishnu at the Javari temple in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. He claimed that the idol was mutilated during Mughal invasions and that authorities had failed to restore it despite repeated representations.
The Court had held that the issue fell within the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and not the judiciary.
During the hearing, the CJI had reportedly told the petitioner’s lawyer: “Go and ask the deity itself to do something now. You say you are a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. So go and pray now. It’s an archaeological site and ASI needs to give permission etc. Sorry.”
This comment went viral on social media. On September 18, the CJI clarified in open court that he respected all religions and had no intention to offend anyone’s faith while dismissing the petition.
“Someone told me the other day that the comments I made have been portrayed in social media in a certain manner… I respect all religions,” the CJI said, indicating that the remarks had been misconstrued.