Attack on CJI shameful, sign of growing hatred in country: Ashok Gehlot

Jaipur, Oct 6 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Monday strongly condemned the attack on Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai, saying it was a sign of the "growing atmosphere of hatred" in the country.

If the sitting CJI is not safe from such attacks, one can only imagine the plight of the country's vulnerable and marginalised communities, including Dalits, the former Rajasthan chief minister said in a post on X.

In a shocking security breach, a 71-year-old lawyer allegedly attempted to hurl a shoe towards CJI Gavai in his courtroom in the Supreme Court on Monday.

The CJI, who remained unfazed during and after the unprecedented incident, asked the court officials and the security personnel present inside the courtroom to "just ignore" it and to let off the lawyer, identified as Rakesh Kishore, with a warning.

"The attack on... Chief Justice (of India) B R Gavai is both highly condemnable and indicative of the growing atmosphere of hatred in the country," Gehlot said.

"When a sitting chief justice can be the victim of such an attack, one can only imagine what is happening to the weaker sections of society and the Dalits," he said.

He said the Congress has consistently maintained that the Constitution and constitutional institutions are being systematically weakened in the country.

"This shameful attack on the chief justice (of India)... should be viewed in the same light. People with a hateful ideology can neither respect the Constitution nor the law nor those who enforce them," Gehlot said. PTI SDA DIV DIV