An Indian lawyer launched a shoe to the chief judge Br Gavai during the legal proceedings in Delhi on Monday, following remarks that the judge would have made on Hinduism.
According to the Indian media and the witnesses present in the courtroom, the shoe narrowly missed the chief judge Gavai and another justice before falling behind them. The incident has been described both as a serious violation of the security room and a serious act of disrespect for the public.
The lawyer, identified as Rakesh Kishore, was immediately retained by security officials.
“We will not tolerate any insult to Sanatan Dharma,” shouted the attacker, whose name was not given in the incident, shouted when he was led, referring to another name for Hinduism, the Hindustan Times Journal said.
An association of lawyers of the Supreme Court sentenced the incident on Monday and demanded that the court initiate proceedings against the involved lawyer.
“This behavior is contrary to the dignity of the legal profession and contrary to the constitutional values of the decorum, discipline and institutional integrity,” said the association of defenders of the Supreme Court on the record in a press release.
The Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, said that the attack was the result of disinformation on social networks.
“I personally saw the chief judge to visit religious places of all religions with full reverence,” said Mehta Reuters In a text message
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the “totally condemnable” shoes attack, joining a choir of criticism from the whole political spectrum. Modi met with judge Gavai and said that the attack had angry all the Indians, reports PTI. “There is no room for such reprehensible acts in our society,” said the Prime Minister.
Launching a shoe on someone in public is considered an act of lack of respect and humiliation in India and in many other countries.
– with an additional reuters input
