Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar strongly condemned the incident in which a lawyer attempted to hurl a shoe at Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, calling the CJI the “pride of Maharashtra” and terming the act an attack on democracy and the judiciary.
In a statement issued late Monday night, Pawar said the Supreme Court is the supreme temple of India’s judicial system and that any attack on the judiciary or judges amounts to an assault on the fundamental principles of democracy. “There is no place for such incidents in our democracy. Preserving the dignity of the judiciary is every Indian’s moral responsibility. Strict action must be taken against those responsible,” Pawar said.
Meanwhile, the opposition NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) staged a protest in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Tuesday, condemning the attack and describing it as an assault on the Constitution. Led by MLA Rohit Pawar, party workers raised slogans praising Dr B.R. Ambedkar and the Constitution while demanding accountability from the government.
Rohit Pawar criticised the BJP, alleging its leaders reacted to the incident only after several hours. “This is an extremely condemnable act. BJP leaders, who tweet instantly on trivial matters, spoke up only seven to eight hours later when public outrage began surfacing. What should this silence be construed as?” he questioned.
The incident occurred on Monday when lawyer Rakesh Kishore, 71, allegedly attempted to throw a shoe at CJI Gavai during court proceedings in the Supreme Court. Quick action by security personnel foiled the attempt, and the Bar Council of India immediately suspended Kishore’s license.
