I appeal to every true patriot of this nation — don’t remain silent any longer; rise & raise your voice to defend justice: Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal has declared the attack on Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai, and the subsequent wave of threats and vilification on social media, as a deliberate conspiracy to intimidate Dalits and weaken the judiciary. Calling the episode a grave assault on the dignity of the judiciary and the Constitution itself, the AAP condemned both the shoe-hurling incident and the hate campaign targeting the CJI. He said it was “no coincidence that those behind the attack face no action.”

The AAP Chief warned that when even a Dalit CJI is denied justice, ordinary Dalits lose faith in the system. “After this incident, every judge will hesitate to speak against these forces, fearing similar attacks. I appeal to every true patriot — rise and raise your voice to defend justice,” he said.

In a video message on X, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said that the incident of a shoe being hurled at the Chief Justice of India, Justice Gavai, has shaken the entire nation.

“A person tried to throw a shoe at the Chief Justice of our country, Justice Gavai. After that, Justice Gavai was subjected to numerous threats of violence on social media — people threatened to beat and harm him in different ways, and he was insulted repeatedly,” he said.

The AAP Chief expressed grave concern that despite such open threats and humiliation, no action was taken against the attacker or those spreading hatred and intimidation. “It seemed as if this entire sequence of events was part of a systematic and well-planned conspiracy,” he remarked.

He warned that the episode carried a dangerous message for both society and the judiciary. “Through this incident, these people have tried to send a harsh message to two sections — one, the Dalit community, and two, the judiciary. Justice Gavai comes from the Dalit community. These people cannot tolerate that someone from a Dalit background, through sheer hard work and dedication, has risen to the top position in the judiciary,” Arvind Kejriwal said.

“Isn’t this behaviour an attempt to intimidate and humiliate the Dalit community? After such an incident, how will an ordinary Dalit expect justice?” he asked.

Arvind Kejriwal further said that such acts will embolden those who oppress and hate Dalits. “What message has this entire incident sent to the judiciary? If no action is taken against those who attacked the CJI, then who will protect the other judges?” he said. “After this, judges may fear delivering orders in favour of justice and against such people. They may feel that similar attacks could be carried out against them and that no one will protect them. They may fear that they and their families could face threats and humiliation on social media, with no one to defend them.”

The AAP Supremo warned that this appears to be a conspiracy to frighten and subdue the entire judiciary. “Those who threw the shoe, and those who issued threats and insults to the CJI, should be punished so severely that no one in the future dares to play with the dignity of the judiciary,” he said.

Arvind Kejriwal added that this attack is part of a larger effort to stifle every independent institution in the country. “After the Election Commission, the media, and the Opposition, now they want to silence the judiciary — to crush the voice of the courts and destroy democracy completely,” he said.

He underlined that judicial independence is central to the nation’s very existence. “The independence of the judiciary is essential for the survival of our country. The insult of the judiciary is the insult of the Constitution, and the insult of Babasaheb Ambedkar,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, Arvind Kejriwal issued a call to all patriotic citizens: “If you are a true patriot, you cannot remain silent. Speak up, rise, and raise your voice for the protection of justice. Like me, your blood must also be boiling today.”

Senior AAP leader and Delhi Assembly LoP Atishi took to ‘X’ and wrote: “The attack on Justice Gavai is not merely an attack on one individual, but an attempt to intimidate the entire Dalit society and the entire judiciary, and to insult Baba Saheb’s Constitution. The arrogant people in power cannot tolerate that a person from the Dalit society, through education and learning, has reached the highest position in the country.”