Srinagar, Oct 7: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday sharply criticized the incident in which a lawyer attempted to hurl a shoe at Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai inside the Supreme Court, calling it a “grim snapshot” of the direction in which the country is heading under the current dispensation. She said the attacker’s brazenness reflected a disturbing reality that individuals aligned with majoritarian narratives now act with the confidence that they will face little or no consequences for their actions.
“A shoe hurled at Chief Justice B.R. Gavai offers a chilling preview of what BJP’s ‘Viksit Bharat’ could look like by 2047,” Mufti wrote in a strongly worded post on X. “The attacker acted with complete impunity, fully aware that there would be no real consequences for such a deplorable act.”
A shoe hurled at Chief Justice B.R. Gavai offers a chilling picture of what BJP’s Viksit Bharat will look like by 2047. The attacker acted with brazen confidence knowing well there would be no real consequences for his deplorable act. This is the new normal in Godse’s Bharat…
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 7, 2025
She further alleged that this was symptomatic of a broader pattern where lawlessness and hate are not only normalised but often rewarded. “This is the new normal in Godse’s Bharat where mob lynchers are celebrated, rapists are pardoned, and hate-mongers are encouraged. After all, he is not Umar Khalid or Sharjeel Imam, individuals who have been jailed for years without bail merely for voicing dissent,” Mufti remarked.
Raising a deeper concern, the PDP chief said the incident was more than a legal matter, it was a fundamental test of the judiciary’s will to protect constitutional values. “The question now before the court is not just legal but existential. Will the judiciary rise to defend the Constitution, or will it remain silent as it is being trampled quite literally under a shoe?” she asked, underscoring the symbolic significance of the episode.
The incident in question occurred on Monday when a 71-year-old lawyer, identified as Rakesh Kishor, approached the dais during the mentioning of cases in the Supreme Court. He removed his shoe and allegedly attempted to hurl it at CJI Gavai. Swift action by security personnel inside the courtroom thwarted the attempt, and Kishor was promptly escorted out. As he was being removed, he shouted, “Sanatan ka apman nahi sahenge” (We will not tolerate the insult of Sanatan Dharma).