‘CJI attacked because he is Dalit, there has never been such an attack before’: Union minister Athawale

Addressing the press in Panaji, Athawale said, “This incident is condemnable. For the first time, such an (attack) has happened on the Chief Justice of India… Honourable Bhushan Gavai is from the Dalit community and his father was the Governor of Kerala and Bihar…but he studied and as a result of his own efforts…(he) was in the Bombay High Court and later became a judge of the Supreme Court, and he got the opportunity to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court… Many people from the Savarna samaj have not liked this. Therefore, they have attacked him in this manner.”

“The Prime Minister has condemned it… I also condemn this, and it is my demand that the accused should be booked under the (SC/ST) Atrocities Act. Bhushan Gavai has been attacked because he is a Dalit. Prior to this, there has never been such an attack on the Chief Justice of India.”

On Thursday, the Supreme Court Bar Association terminated the temporary membership of Advocate Rakesh Kishore, terming his action as “grave misconduct”. The Bar Council of India (BCI) had also earlier ordered his suspension from practising law.

A day after he allegedly threw a shoe at CJI Gavai, Kishore claimed he was “instructed by divine powers to act”. After questioning Kishore for three hours on Monday, Delhi police allowed him to go after the apex court’s Registrar General refused to press charges against him.