Bid to attack CJI Gavai: NCP (SP) stages protests in Maharashtra

Mumbai, Oct 7 (PTI) The NCP (SP) staged protests in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra on Tuesday, condemning a lawyer's attempt to hurl a shoe at Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, saying it was a bid to attack the Constitution and democracy.

Hundreds of protesters gathered at Hutatma Chowk, and some of them later agitated in front of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's statue near Mantralaya in south Mumbai.

A party worker said the police denied permission to organise a march from Hutatma Chowk to the Ambedkar statue.

Maharashtra NCP (SP) president Shashikant Shinde, Mumbai unit chief Rakhi Jadhav, and other supporters raised slogans condemning the incident that occurred on Monday in the Supreme Court.

A group of protesters later agitated in front of Dr Ambedkar's statue, holding banners and placards.

A similar protest was held by the opposition party in Baramati, led by NCP (SP) national working president Supriya Sule. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, party MLA Rohit Pawar and activists held placards and shouted slogans hailing Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Constitution.

Rohit Pawar said the bid to "attack" CJI Gavai was an attempt to attack the Constitution and democracy.

"This is an extremely condemnable incident. BJP leaders, who tweet instantly on trivial matters, only tweeted about this seven to eight hours later, when public outrage started surfacing. What should this be construed as?" he questioned.

NCP (SP) spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said this "shameful" act is not just an insult to the Chief Justice of India, but is also an assault on the very Constitutional values that bind our democracy.

He accused the ruling BJP of trying to weaken autonomous institutions and replace the Constitution with the Manusmriti through its ideology.

On Monday, lawyer Rakesh Kishore (71) attempted to hurl a shoe towards CJI Gavai in his courtroom in the Supreme Court in New Delhi, prompting the Bar Council of India to suspend his license with immediate effect.

Kishore approached the dais on a raised platform, removed his shoe, and tried to throw it towards the judges. Alert security personnel present inside the courtroom immediately intervened and foiled an apparent attack. PTI DC MR ARU NSK