CJI B R Gavai Responds To Criticism Over Vishnu Idol Remarks, Says He Respects All Religions

On Thursday, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai said that he respects 'all religions' in the wake of the online criticism his comments garnered in a matter over the reconstruction of a Lord Vishnu idol, PTI reported.

“Someone told me the other day that the comments I made have been portrayed in social media...I respect all religions,” he said as per PTI.

On May 16, a bench of the CJI and Justice K Vinod Chandran rejected a plea to reconstruct and reinstall a seven-foot Lord Vishnu idol at Javari Temple in Madhya Pradesh's Khajuraho complex.

Terming the plea as a “publicity interest litigation”, the CJI said, “This is purely publicity interest litigation… Go and ask the deity himself to do something. If you are saying that you are a strong devotee of Lord Vishnu, then you pray and do some meditation," PTI reported.

As per PTI, the CJI said that, “In the meantime, if you are not averse to Shaivism, you can go and worship there… there is a very big linga of Shiva, one of the biggest in Khajuraho.”

The bench had refused to entertain the plea filed by one Rakesh Dalal, who sought the replacement and consecration of the damaged idol at the Javari Temple in Chhatarpur district.

“I have known the CJI for the last 10 years,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, “this is serious also, we used to know Newton's law that every action has an equal reaction… now every action has a disproportionate social media reaction," as per PTI.

“We suffer everyday, it's an unruly horse no way to tame it,” senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was present in the courtroom, said as per PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)