Bengaluru, Oct 8 (IANS) Reacting to the incident of a lawyer throwing a shoe at the Chief Justice of India in the Supreme Court, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his disapproval, stating that it is a highly condemnable act and it is not acceptable to throw a slipper at judges in the name of religion.

Speaking to the media at his residence in Sadashivanagar in Bengaluru on Wednesday, Kharge said, “We strongly condemn the act of a person, claiming to be a lawyer, throwing a shoe at the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in the name of religion. This act has been condemned by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Although slightly delayed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also condemned it.”

He further added, “Even after 78 years of independence, it is disheartening that there are people who allow religious sentiments to dictate such actions. The government must take strict action against such individuals. It is also unfortunate that neither the government nor the legal fraternity has strongly condemned this act,” Kharge demanded.

Kharge questioned, “If a slipper can be thrown at the Chief Justice, what about ordinary citizens? Legal action must be taken against those who show disrespect toward the judicial system,” he emphasised.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has written a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a judicial inquiry and immediate action on a blatant casteist attack made in the name of ‘Sanatana’ against the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India.

Ramesh Babu, Member of Karnataka Legislative Council and Chairman, KPCC Media & Communication Department, has written a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating, “I am writing this petition with deep concern over the recent derogatory and inflammatory remarks made by a self-proclaimed ‘Sanatani’ advocate targeting the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India and the Supreme Court.”

“Such an attack, made in the name of ‘Sanatana Dharma’, is not merely a personal outburst but a direct affront to the independence of the judiciary, which forms the backbone of our Constitutional democracy,” he stated.

“It is extremely disappointing that, being the Prime Minister of India, you have chosen to merely issue statements condemning the incident, instead of initiating concrete measures. As the Head of the Government, the Prime Minister cannot absolve himself of responsibility by distancing himself from the incident verbally. The credibility of our institutions depends on decisive action, not mere words.

Therefore, I most respectfully urge you to: Order a Judicial Inquiry headed by a sitting or retired Supreme Court Judge to investigate the motives, links, and intent behind the attack on the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India and the Supreme Court,” Ramesh Babu demanded.

Direct the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Delhi Police to initiate immediate arrest and prosecution of the said ‘Sanatani’ advocate under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with the Contempt of Courts Act, he appealed.

Condemning the attack on Supreme Court Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, Lawyers staged a silent protest before the State High Court. They demanded the immediate arrest of the lawyer Rakesh Kishore, who carried out the attack. The protesters said this was a major affront aimed at weakening the independence of the judiciary and insisted that a full investigation into the matter must be conducted.

–IANS

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