Lawyer, Rakesh Kishore, 72, hurls a shoe at the Chief Justice of India, demanding judicial reform

Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge!

A shoe hurled by a 72-year-old lawyer, Mr Rakesh Kishore, at the Chief Justice of India in the apex court has ignited a national debate on how legitimate criticism of the court can be leveled without risking contempt.

The Indian justice system faces warranted criticism. Its judge appointment process subverts the Constitution where the President was meant to appoint judges, by being interpreted by the court as judges should appoint themselves. Cloaked in exaggerated claims of judicial independence, judges resist asset disclosure and meaningful anti-corruption measures, insisting on accountability only to themselves. Pendency of cases is sky-high, at 5.29 crore cases. Compounding this, judges frequently stray into executive domain, arrogate powers to themselves cheered on by a complicit mainstream media.

‘No regrets!’ said Mr Kishore said on the incident.

The incident, however inappropriate, served to shine a spotlight on yet another fundamental flaw. Judges frequently disparage the majority faith of India, Hinduism, singling it out for harsh chastisement while extending courtesies to other faiths. Citing court observations where a Hindu petitioner was asked to pray to Lord Vishnu to remedy his grievance to berating a lady BJP spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, for a loose tongue that had set the country on fire, when she had quoted an Islamic scripture, the merit in the criticism is undeniable.

While Justice Gavai has condoned the incident, the root cause of such a showdown remains to be addressed. + + + +


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