BJP leader and former Bengaluru top cop praises lawyer who hurled shoe at CJI

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Former Bengaluru Commissioner of Police Bhaskar Rao stoked a controversy by condoning the attack on Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai by a lawyer identified as Rakesh Kishore. The perpetrator, who has been suspended by the Bar Council, had attempted to hurl his shoe at the CJI.

The former IPS officer and BJP leader, referring to Rakesh Kishore, said: “Even if it is legally and terribly wrong, I admire your courage, at your age, to take a stand and live by it, irrespective of consequences.”

Bhaskar Rao joined the BJP in 2023 after quitting from the AAP. 

On Monday, October 6, Rakesh Kishore attempted to attack CJI B.R. Gavai inside the Supreme Court. The incident prompted widespread outrage. Several leaders across party lines condemned the incident, particularly as it was seen as one with caste-based motives. CJI Gavai belongs to the Dalit community.

Rakesh Kishore was promptly suspended by the Bar Council of India (BCI).

In a letter issued by BCI Chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra, the Council said Kishore’s conduct was inconsistent with its Rules on Standards of Professional Conduct and Etiquette and the dignity of the court.

During the period of suspension, Kishore is debarred from appearing, acting, pleading, or practising in any court, tribunal, or authority in India.

Meanwhile, the perpetrator remains defiant about his actions. He claimed that the act was not his own, but inspired by divine intervention.

“Whatever my Lord made me do, I did. I didn’t act on my own. It was the Lord’s will. There is a message behind what happened, and I will explain it,” he told IANS.

Referring to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) heard by CJI Gavai on September 16, Kishore said he felt deeply hurt by how the matter was handled.

“I don’t know who filed the PIL or who the lawyer was. But the case involved the restoration of a beheaded 7-foot statue of Lord Vishnu in Khajuraho. This statue was desecrated during an invasion. I have cried in front of that temple; I know the pain. But instead of taking any action, the CJI remarked, ‘Tell your God to restore it if you are a devotee.’ I felt insulted and saw it as a gross injustice,” Kishore said.

He also criticised the CJI’s recent remark that “the country will not run with bulldozers,” saying it indirectly targeted state-led actions.

“We all know where bulldozer actions are happening. I was born and raised in Bareilly. I’ve seen people build hotels on illegal land. If CM Yogi doesn’t act against them, then who will?” he added.

“I said this in court, and I will say it again — India will not tolerate the insult of Sanatan Dharma,” Kishore asserted. It is to be noted that states like Uttar Pradesh have come under severe criticism for bulldozing buildings belonging to those accused of crimes or political dissenters, particularly Muslims.

Commenting on his suspension, he said, “The Bar Council, led by Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, sent me a letter last night suspending me. I can show you the letter. This is not just an order — it’s a despotic decree.”

With IANS inputs.