A day after attempting to hurl a shoe towards Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai inside the Supreme Court, suspended advocate Rakesh Kishore said he had “no regrets” and that his act was a reaction to the CJI’s remarks in a case linked to the reconstruction of a Lord Vishnu idol in Madhya Pradesh’s Khajuraho temple complex.
“A PIL was filed in the Court of CJI on 16th September. The CJI mocked it and said — go and pray to the idol and tell it to restore its own head... When a matter related to our Sanatan Dharma comes up, SC passes such orders. Don’t provide relief to the petitioner, but don’t mock him either... I was hurt...” Kishore told news agency ANI.
Kishore reiterated on X, “My appeal to Supreme Court: Just don’t make fun of our Bhagwan & Hindu Dharm. I was hurt... I was not inebriated, this was my reaction to his action... I am not fearful. I don’t regret what happened.”
Responding to criticism over targeting CJI Gavai, who belongs to a Scheduled Caste, Kishore said, “My name is Dr Rakesh Kishore. Can someone tell my caste? Maybe I am a Dalit too. It is one-sided that you are taking advantage of the fact that he (CJI Gavai) is a Dalit. He is not a Dalit. He was a Sanatani Hindu first. He then renounced his faith and followed Buddhism. If he feels that he has come out of Hinduism after following Buddhism, how is he still a Dalit? This is about mindset.”
When asked about the possible impact of his actions, Kishore said, “Judges should work on their sensitivity. Lakhs of cases are pending... I am neither going to apologise, nor do I regret it. I have not done anything; you are questioning me. Almighty made me do it...”
He further added, “CJI should think that when he is sitting on such a high constitutional post, he should understand the meaning of ‘Milord’ and uphold its dignity... You go to Mauritius and say that the country will not run with a bulldozer. I ask the CJI and those opposing me: Is the bulldozer action by Yogi against those who encroached on government property wrong?... I am hurt and will continue to be so...”
Who is Rakesh Kishore?
Kishore, a senior advocate enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi since 2009, is a member of multiple bar associations including the Supreme Court Bar Association and Shahdara Bar Association.
He resides in Mayur Vihar, Delhi. Police recovered multiple bar association membership cards from him at the time of the incident.
Incident inside Supreme Court
The incident occurred around 11:35 am on Monday in Court No. 1, when Kishore allegedly removed his sports shoes and attempted to hurl them towards CJI Gavai during proceedings. Security personnel restrained him before any harm was done.
As he was being escorted out, Kishore shouted, “Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge (will not tolerate any insult to Sanatan religion).”
CJI Gavai, who remained calm, reportedly told lawyers, “Don’t get distracted,” and continued.
Later, the Bar Council of India (BCI) suspended Kishore’s licence, calling his behaviour “prima facie inconsistent with the dignity of the court.”
Bar Council action and police response
The Bar Council of India, in its interim suspension order, said, “On the basis of prima facie material, it appears that at about 11.35 am on 6 October 2025, in Court No. 1 of the Supreme Court of India, you i.e. Advocate Rakesh Kishore, removed your sports shoes and attempted to hurl them towards the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India during ongoing proceedings, whereupon you were detained by security.”
The Council cited violations of the Advocates Act, 1961, and Bar Council of India Rules, and said the conduct “undermines the decorum of the court.”
The Delhi Police said Kishore was released after verification and that no formal complaint had been received.
CJI’s earlier remarks and clarification
The confrontation stemmed from the Supreme Court’s dismissal last month of a plea seeking the reconstruction and reinstallation of a damaged Lord Vishnu idol at the Javari Temple in Khajuraho.
A bench led by CJI Gavai had refused to entertain the petition, saying, “This is purely publicity interest litigation... Go and ask the deity himself to do something. If you are saying you are a strong devotee of Lord Vishnu, then you pray and do some meditation.”
The CJI later clarified that he never made the comments attributed to him on social media.
Protests and support claims
Following the courtroom incident, the All India Lawyers Union staged a protest on the Supreme Court premises. Reacting to this, Kishore posted on X, “Only 7 people came to protest against my action. Means most of lawyers indirect support my action against anti Hindu Supreme Court.”