Rakesh Kishore, the Supreme Court advocate suspended on Monday after trying to throw a shoe at Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, has alleged that the CJI was biased against Sanatan matters, citing the Nupur Sharma and Haldwani cases as examples.
Alleging that the Supreme Court was biased against Sanatan matters, the lawyer pointed out the matter of a "particular community" occupying railway land in Haldwani.
"When an attempt was made to evict them, the Supreme Court had imposed a stay order three years ago, which remains in place to this day," Kishore told ANI.
He added that when the matter of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma came up in the Supreme Court—over her comments on Prophet Mohammad during a TV debate, which angered a number of Arab nations—the court had said that she had "spoilt the atmosphere".
He also declared that he was not inebriated at the time of the shoe-throw attempt, and that he did not like violence.
"Don't provide relief to the petitioner, but don't mock him either ... I was hurt," Kishore said, explaining that he was "not fearful", and "did not regret what happened".
Kishore confirmed that he tried to throw a shoe at the CJI because he had felt offended at the manner in which his September 16 petition—to restore a dilapidated statue of Lord Vishnu at the Khajuraho Temple complex—was rejected.
“Go and ask the deity itself to do something now," the CJI had said while dismissing his petition.
"I respect all religions," the CJI said in open court two days later, pointing out that he meant no disrespect, and that social media had blown the issue out of proportion.
“The almighty was asking me every night how I could rest after such an insult,” Kishore said.