Suspended Lawyer Rakesh Kishore Defends Shoe-Throwing Incident, Alleges Bias Against Sanatan Dharma

Suspended lawyer Rakesh Kishore, who attempted to throw a shoe at Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai inside the Supreme Court, said he acted out of emotional pain rather than anger. Following the incident, which took place on Monday, the Bar Council of India suspended Kishore. In an interview with ANI, the 71-year-old claimed he was “deeply hurt” by the CJI’s remarks and accused the judiciary of showing bias in cases concerning Sanatan Dharma.

Kishore said he had no regrets for his actions, explaining that a public interest litigation (PIL) filed on September 16 was mocked by the Chief Justice. According to him, Justice Gavai’s remark—“Go pray to the idol, ask the idol to restore its own head”—was disrespectful. He also alleged that the judiciary handles cases involving other communities more sensitively, citing instances such as the Haldwani encroachment issue and the Nupur Sharma case.

Expressing disappointment, Kishore said, “Whenever issues linked to Sanatan Dharma arise—like Jallikattu or Dahi Handi—the Supreme Court passes restrictive orders. This pains me deeply.”

He further asserted that his act was not politically motivated, nor was he associated with any organisation. “I have never been violent or involved in any wrongdoing. People should question why someone like me was compelled to act this way,” he said.

Reacting to the incident, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi condemned the act, calling it an attack on India’s constitutional values. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also expressed anger over the episode, while praising CJI Gavai’s calm and dignified response.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, CPI, NCP-SP, Shiv Sena (UBT), and DMK, also denounced the act, calling it an “assault on the Constitution” and a dangerous reflection of growing intolerance in society.