A lawyer tried to throw a shoe at the Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai on Monday, 6th October, 2025 in the Supreme Court. CJI Gavai was hearing mentioning of cases by lawyers when a lawyer went near the dais and tried to remove his shoe to throw at him. However, the security personnel inside the court intervened and the lawyer was escorted out.
As per reports, the lawyer was heard saying ‘Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge’. CJI Gavai remained unfazed by the shoe-throwing attempt and asked the lawyers to continue with their arguments. He asked them not to get distracted and that such things do not affect him.
‘Go and pray to Vishnu’: CJI Gavai
Earlier last month, CJI Gavai, while dismissing a case on restoration of a 7-foot beheaded idol at one of the temples in Khajuraho complex, had said, “Go and ask the deity itself to do something now. You are a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. So go and pray now. It’s an archeological site and ASI needs to give permission, etc”.
This, obviously, kicked up quite a storm on social media and elsewhere where people felt the CJI could have skipped commenting something that could be hurtful to Hindus. He could have just mentioned how the case is within the purview of the ASI and dismissed the petition instead of asking the petitioner to go pray to Lord Vishnu.
Two days later, CJI Gavai had claimed that he respects all religions and this happened on social media.
