Rakesh Kishore, a suspended lawyer who tried to throw a shoe at Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai in the Supreme Court, stated that his actions stemmed from emotional pain rather than anger. Following the incident on Monday, the Bar Council of India suspended Kishore. In an ANI interview, the 71-year-old expressed that he felt ‘deeply hurt’ by the CJI’s comments and accused the judiciary of bias against cases related to Sanatan Dharma. Kishore expressed no regrets for his behavior, explaining that a public interest litigation (PIL) he filed on September 16 was ridiculed by the Chief Justice. He perceived Justice Gavai’s remark, ‘Go pray to the idol, ask the idol to restore its own head,’ as disrespectful.
Kishore further claimed that the judiciary treats cases involving other communities with more sensitivity, referencing the Haldwani encroachment issue and the Nupur Sharma case. He conveyed disappointment, stating, ‘Whenever issues linked to Sanatan Dharma arise—like Jallikattu or Dahi Handi—the Supreme Court issues restrictive orders. This pains me deeply.’ Kishore emphasized that his actions were not politically motivated and that he has no affiliations with any organization. ‘I have never been violent or engaged in wrongdoing. People should ask why someone like me felt driven to act this way,’ he stated.
In response to the incident, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi condemned the action as an attack on India’s constitutional values, noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed anger over the situation, while commending CJI Gavai’s composed and dignified response. Opposition parties, including Congress, CPI, NCP-SP, Shiv Sena (UBT), and DMK, condemned the incident as an ‘assault on the Constitution’ and a troubling sign of increasing intolerance in society.