PM Modi says shoe attack on CJI Gavai ‘has angered every Indian’; leaders, parties condemn act

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the shoe attack on Chief Justice of India BR Gavai on Monday calling the act “utterly condemnable,” adding that it “angered every Indian.” The prime minister, in a tweet, added that he had spoken to the CJI and appreciated “the calm” displayed by him in the situation.“Spoke to Chief Justice of India, Justice BR 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,” PM Modi tweeted.“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,” he added.Spoke to Chief Justice of India, Justice BR 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.I appreciated the calm displayed by Justice…— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 6, 2025What happened?Rakesh Kishor, a 71-year-old Supreme Court advocate, threw his sports shoe at the Chief Justice for reportedly being upset over his comments during a recent case during court proceedings at around 11:35 am.Story continues below this adInitial investigation revealed that the advocate was unhappy with the CJI’s remarks during a recent hearing of a plea seeking the restoration of a Lord Vishnu idol in the Khajuraho Temple complex in Madhya Pradesh.CJI Gavai appeared unruffled, and asked lawyers to continue the proceedings.Leaders, parties condemn attackFollowing the incident that took place in Court No 1, parties, political leaders and associations have come to the fore, condemning the act and taking measures against the Kishor.Congress leaders condemned the senior advocate’s actions. Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi labelled it as an attack on the Constitution of India.Story continues below this ad“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.Congress leader and Lok Sabha LoP 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 added.Congress chief and Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge in a post on X, said that it was disturbing that a sitting judge, who rose to the nation’s highest judicial office through merit, integrity, and perseverance, and called the act “unprecedented, shameful and abhorrent. It is an attack on the dignity of our Judiciary and the rule of law.”Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal called for condemnation of the act and called out the silence of PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, saying that it is not surprising at all.Story continues below this adThe Congress said the incident marked a “shocking and dangerous new low in India’s democratic history,” alleging that the “culture of impunity and hatred that has been encouraged by those in power.”Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that it is a stark reminder that “caste-based prejudice and Manuvaadi mindsets continue to persist.”The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) on Monday also passed a unanimous resolution, strongly condemning the incident.The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) called the act “reprehensible” and called it a serious breach of courtroom decorum and professional ethics.Story continues below this adCalling the act “shameful,” Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said in a post on X: “The reason revealed by the attacker for his act shows how deeply the oppressive and hierarchical mindset still lingers in our society.”Condemning the act, The Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said it was “yet another example of the Manuvadi and communal venom injected into society by Hindutva communal forces.”CPI(M) leader and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said the attack was “a reflection of the hatred spread by the Sangh Parivar”.The Left party went on to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre of promoting “casteist, Manuvadi, and communal ideas”, adding that it “emboldened such acts.”Story continues below this adThe Bar Council of India (BCI) suspended Kishor’s license with immediate effect. BCI chairperson and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra said the advocate’s act was “prima facie inconsistent with the dignity of the court” and in clear violation of conduct prescribed under the Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India Rules.