Even as the attack on the Chief Justice of India BR Gavai has drawn criticism from all quarters, the lawyer's attempt to throw his shoe at the top judge of the country has received praise from a BJP leader.
Bhaskar Rao, Karnataka BJP leader and former Bengaluru Commissioner, said that he "admires" the courage of the lawyer for taking a stand and "living by it".
Even if it's legally and terribly wrong, you admire his courage? Coming from a former IPS officer, this is shameful. You once upheld the law, now you stand with someone who insulted the Chief Justice of India. What a fall!
— Mansoor Khan (@MansoorKhanINC) October 7, 2025
"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," he wrote in a now-deleted post on X.
His remark drew sharp criticism from Congress leader Mansoor Khan. "Even if it's legally and terribly wrong, you admire his courage? Coming from a former IPS officer, this is shameful. You once upheld the law; now you stand with someone who insulted the Chief Justice of India. What a fall," he wrote in a response to Rao's comment.
In a breach of decorum, the elderly lawyer threw a shoe at the Chief Justice during a court proceeding. The shoe did not reach the bench, and the man was caught and escorted out by security personnel present in the court.
The lawyer, Rakesh Kishore, was suspended by the Bar Council of India (BCI) hours after the incident.
Kishore, meanwhile, justified his action and said that he was hurt by the Chief Justice's remarks during the hearing of a plea seeking restoration of the structure of Lord Vishnu in the Javari temple in Madhya Pradesh's Khajuraho.
"I did not do it; God did. The Chief Justice of India mocked Sanatan Dharma. This was the Almighty's order, a reaction to an action," he said.
Last month, a bench led by Chief Justice Gavai dismissed the petition plea seeking directions to reconstruct and reinstall the idol of Lord Vishnu at the Javari temple. The temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Khajuraho complex.
"This is purely publicity interest litigation.... Go and ask the deity himself to do something. If you are saying that you are a strong devotee of Lord Vishnu, then you pray and do some meditation," the Chief Justice had said.
His remarks had drawn ire on social media. Taking note of the criticism, he later said that he respects "all religions".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday strongly condemned the attack on the Chief Justice and said that it had "angered every Indian".
Several other leaders across party lines also strongly condemned the incident. The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has issued a firm resolution condemning the conduct of the advocate who disrupted proceedings in the courtroom of the Chief Justice of India.
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