Hindu religious fanaticism reaches the Supreme Court with shoe thrown at Dalit justice
The head of India's highest judicial body was targeted with a shocking gesture by a lawyer from a Brahmin family for comments he made during a hearing regarding a temple in Madhya Pradesh that Hindutva nationalists deemed offensive. The judicial community was outraged by a casteist attack that “cannot be tolerated”.
Delhi (AsiaNews) – A sensational and furious protest staged yesterday by a lawyer close to right-wing Hindu nationalist groups at the Supreme Court of India has sparked a bitter controversy in India.
Rakesh Kishore, 71, threw a shoe at Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, an act of contempt tinged with caste-related hostility, since the judge in question belongs to the Dalit community.
The chief justice came under fire for an incident that occurred a few days ago during a hearing on a petition calling for the reconstruction and consecration of a seven-foot-tall statue of the deity Vishnu at the Javari Temple in Khajuraho, in the State of Madhya Pradesh, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Rejecting the petition, Gavai responded to the proponent's insistence: “Go and ask the deity itself to do something now. You say you are a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. So go and pray now.”
This comment sparked a wave of criticism on social media from far right and Hindu extremists, who saw it as insensitivity towards their religious sentiments and a sign of the loss of prominence of religion in public life in India.
Gavai later clarified that his words had been widely misunderstood, reiterating his unconditional respect for all religions. These words, however, were not enough for lawyer Rakesh Kishore.
According to eyewitnesses, as security personnel escorted him out of the courtroom after throwing the shoe, he shouted, “India won't tolerate an insult to the ancient (way).”
Maintaining his composure, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court continued the hearing without interruption, urging the other lawyers present to maintain their dignity: “Don’t get distracted by all this. We are not distracted. These things do not affect me.”
Senior lawyer Indira Jaising harshly condemned the incident, calling it a "blatant casteist attack on the Supreme Court of India," alluding to the fact that Kishore comes from an "upper caste" family. She also urged the authorities to take legal action, stressing that "ideological attacks on the judiciary cannot be tolerated.”
Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan joined Jaising in slamming Kishore’s action, calling it a “dastardly attempt" that stemmed from a “Brahminical mindset”.
According to Delhi Police, Kishore was released after the Supreme Court bench declined to file charges.
Another commentator complained about the incident, writing on social media: “An upper-caste Hindu throws a shoe at the Dalit Chief Justice, police does not file a case and even returns his shoe. A Muslim holds a ‘I love Muhammad’ placard and his house is bulldozed.”
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