GANDHI TO GAVAI: THE UNCHECKED HATE, LIES, SHOE, AND SLUR
| Onkareshwar Pandey - Editor in Chief - CEO - 15 Oct 2025

India demands SPG-Level Protection for the CJI and an Indian 'First Amendment' for Media Freedom.

The Constitutional Blight of Unchecked Hatred

By Onkareshwar PANDEY

The thunder of a hurled shoe, intended for the highest seat of justice, still echoes—a chilling, hypothetical sound. On October 6, 2025, a fictional lawyer, Rakesh Kishore, 71, attempts to assault the Honourable Chief Justice of India, Justice B. R. Gavai, inside the Supreme Court, shouting a slogan in defense of Sanatana Dharma.

This opening scenario is a potent symbol reflecting deep, unresolved crises plaguing the nation today:

A day later, on October 7, Senior Haryana IPS officer ADGP Y. Puran Kumar reportedly commits suicide by shooting himself at his official residence in Chandigarh. His body lies unclaimed as of this report on October 14, a stark symbol of justice deferred, while his family’s demands remain unmet.

Five days earlier, on October 2, an innocent Dalit youth named Hariom Balmiki is brutally murdered by a mob over theft rumors in Uttar Pradesh's Unchahar area of Raebareli. The despair of this poor citizen's family remains unheard—justice still denied after a brutal lynching.

These concurrent tragedies—real or allegorical—spread across the Web World like digital fire. The attempted attack on the solemn premises of the Supreme Court, especially against CJI Justice Gavai, is not just an assault on an individual; it is an assault on the soul of India and the Indian Constitution.

The Original Sin: The Immunity of Unpunished Contempt

This outrage is not an anomaly born in 2025; it is a historical debt rooted in the failure to administer justice nine decades ago.

In 1934, in Pune, Raghunath Parachure, a Hindu Mahasabha member, hurled a wooden slipper at Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi forgave the assailant. But the State’s failure to prosecute the crime—an act of sedition and contempt—was the original sin.

Had the law prevailed then, prosecuting Parachure, perhaps the 1948 assassin’s bullet would have been arrested by precedent. It is this historical immunity that emboldens the contemporary assailant, transforming judicial dissent into an act of attempted judicial lynching.

The use of slurs—from the contemptible ‘Jersey Cow’ to abuses aimed at the Prime Minister’s mother—are serious symptoms. The systemic violence is the disease itself: the brutal murder of Hariom Valmiki, the alleged caste-driven suicide of IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, and the audacious attack on the CJI—all symptoms that contempt for constitutional authority and injustice against the marginalised have reached a national crisis point.

The inherent question cannot be avoided: “Is this brazenness possible because the CJI is Dalit?” Crime committed has no Caste, punishment must be fast.

True Sanatanis are True Gandhians, and True Indians

No one who truly reveres Sanatan Dharma or follows Gandhian ideals can hurl shoes at Gandhi or Justice Gavai, nor indulge in slurs or abusive language.

As the Rigveda declares: Satyam vada, dharmam chara — Speak the truth, walk the path of righteousness.

Swami Vivekananda reminded us: “We are all children of the same motherland. Let us not forget our unity in diversity.” And Sardar Patel warned: “Disunity and hatred are poisons that will destroy us from within.”

So when veteran BJP leader and scholar Murli Manohar Joshi quotes Amartya Sen to critique economic policy, does that make him a "Left Librandu"? Or does it reaffirm that intellectual honesty transcends party lines?

Mocking our freedom fighters with phrases like “1,200 years of zaalim gulami”, branding Rahul Gandhi as “Shahzada”, or liberal voices as “Khan Market Gang” and “Bhu-bhakshak”—these are not debates, they are distractions that substitute thoughtful critique with venom.

Accusing India’s premier institution JNU—alma mater to ministers and civil servants—as “Tukde Tukde Gang”, while glorifying the “Favde Favde Gang” digging up Aurangzeb’s grave, is a travesty of law and logic.

Equally vile are the personal attacks on PM Modi—using slurs like “jaahil ullu”, “gali ka gunda”, “neech aadmi”, “pickpocket”, or “Yamraj”. These ad-hominem slurs poison public discourse and degrade the dignity of democratic debate. Whether addressing a person or a community—remember, he is Indian first. If he is not, let the law take its own course; you cannot take the law into your hands, nor do you have the authority to unilaterally demand, "Pakistan Chale Jao."

The BJP’s constitution pledges allegiance to “Gandhian Socialism”—invoking Gandhi’s foundational principles of Swadeshi, Antyodaya, and Sarvodaya, which have long been the ideological bedrock of the Congress party. This ideological borrowing exposes a deeper vacuum: a lack of original political philosophy.

Yet in practice, the party stands accused by critics of betraying these very Gandhian ideals with alarming ferocity. While appropriating Gandhi’s vocabulary, its rhetoric has allegedly descended into communally charged slogans—“infiltrators,” and virtually not deporting them almost at all, targeting “those who have more children,” and talking about “shamshan-kabristan”and then shaking hands with the Taliban—that fracture the social fabric Gandhi sought to heal.

This is not merely a deviation from Gandhi’s vision of communal harmony. It is a violation of the party’s own professed principles of Integral Humanism and cultural nationalism. The contradiction is glaring.

During elections they become - "infiltrators" and "those who have more children,"  "shamshan-kabristan", “Kapdon se Pahchane Jane wale”, and then we send a “Saugaat E Eid”! – What a self-mocking contrast and and great level of politics!!

The stark contrast between their constitutional Gandhian claims and their divisive political conduct reveals a profound ideological hypocrisy—invoking Gandhi’s name while echoing the very hatred that his assassin embodied.

Whether it is the violation of Gandhian thought, or violence against Gandhi or Justice Gavai—it is not merely an attack on individuals. It is a direct assault on India, that is Bharat. Let us rise above this. Let us reclaim the spirit of truth, tolerance, and thoughtful dissent—the true essence of Sanatan and Swaraj.

The Constitutional Imperative: An Indian 'First Amendment' for Equal Rights to Media

When political figures normalise terms like “Urban Naxal”, “Ramdrohi”, and “Deshdrohi”, they create sanctioned targets for violence—criminalizing dissent and branding critics as traitors. Words banned in Parliament for disrupting order are unleashed on public platforms with impunity. This selective application of law is the essence of Selective Justice. They termed the media as 'Godi' and 'Presstitutes' and did nothing to ensure a free and safe press. 

The State of Free Space for Media: The global indices paint a disturbing picture of media persecution in India. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), India’s ranking on the Press Freedom Index has dropped precipitously from 131st in 2012 to an alarming 159th out of 180 countries in 2024. This decline underscores a critical need for structural protection. If the Republic is to survive, the media must be granted free and liberal space.

India needs akin to US First Amendment: This demands a legal safeguard akin to the First Amendment of the US Constitution, ensuring the right to a free press is explicitly and robustly protected from arbitrary state action and political intimidation. A powerful judicial figure, perhaps CJI Justice Gavai, may be uniquely positioned to drive this constitutional necessity.

Freedom of Speech Is Not Absolute

As articulated in Article 19(2) and affirmed by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, this freedom is subject to “reasonable restrictions” to maintain public order and decency.

Yet, the political reaction to these events has been starkly divided.

The Opposition has unequivocally condemned the inaction. Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi wrote to the officer’s wife: “The news of the tragic death... is a stark reminder of the prejudiced and biased attitudes of those in power that continue to deprive even the most senior officials of social justice.”

Rahul Gandhi visited the family and demanded action: “The message being sent to Dalits is that no matter how successful you are, if you are a Dalit you can be crushed... At least honour him after his death.”

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah called the CJI attack a “stark reminder that caste-based prejudice and Manuvaadi mindsets continue to persist—even 75 years after the enactment of the Indian Constitution.”

In contrast, the ruling party’s response has been limited to a general assurance and a token transfer—an inertia that critics say protects power, not justice.

The Judiciary’s Warning and the Toothless Law

The Supreme Court, in Vishal Tiwari v. Union of India, mandated: “Hate speech must be crushed with an iron hand.”

Yet this judicial wisdom remains trapped in legal libraries. Existing laws—IPC 153A, 295A, SC/ST Act—are rendered toothless by a sluggish and politically biased enforcement mechanism.

The Final Question: Who Will Give Justice?

The DGP and other officials named in the FIR have been sent on leave. But the poignant sight of ADGP Y. Puran Kumar’s body lying uncremated speaks to a chilling truth: if a top officer, allegedly persecuted due to his caste, is driven to the extreme step of suicide, and his family must use his body as a final plea for justice—what hope does the common citizen hold for a fair investigation?

At the other end of the social spectrum is the equally horrific lynching of Hariom Valmiki in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh. A mentally challenged Dalit man, beaten to death by a mob on mere suspicion of theft. Despite stringent laws, mob mentality prevails, raising the fundamental question: When will the dignity and basic human rights of the most marginalized cease to be negotiable?

The crisis deepens when the stability of the highest judicial office is called into question. If the Chief Justice of India is threatened with a Joota—a symbol of extreme disrespect—it signals a terrifying erosion of respect for the rule of law.

The question then becomes inescapable: Who will give justice?

The judiciary is meant to be the last refuge for the oppressed. When even the highest seat of justice is vulnerable to political or social intimidation, the entire edifice of democracy trembles. This is not a crisis of rogue officers or violent mobs alone—it is a corrosion of the institutional framework meant to hold them accountable.

The distance between Gandhi’s dream of social harmony and the current reality—Hariom Valmiki’s lynching, Puran Kumar’s desperate protest, and the attack on Justice Gavai—is the measure of justice yet to be delivered. The conscience of the nation must grapple with these truths until the constitutional promise of equality is secured for every citizen.

The Urgent Need for Constitutional Safeguards

When contempt is weaponized—hurled as a shoe at Gandhi and now at Justice Gavai—it doesn't just target individuals; it horrifies the judiciary and breeds systemic fear. If judges fear for their safety, justice cannot be delivered. This is no longer symbolic; it demands immediate, structural constitutional reform.

  1. SPG-Level Protection for Constitutional Offices: for all sitting Chief Justices, their families, and other high constitutional functionaries.
  2. Judicial Security Force (JSF): A Centrally governed, autonomous force dedicated solely to safeguarding judges and court premises nationwide, ensuring judicial independence is never compromised by physical or political intimidation.
  3. Legislation to Dismantle the Hate Industry:
    • Criminalise Designated Slurs (Non-Bailable): Public use of targeted slurs (“Gaddar”, “Ramdrohi”, casteist or communal abuses) must be criminalised as a non-bailable offense.
    • Mandatory Minimum Sentencing: Contempt or violence against constitutional functionaries must carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for fast-track deterrence.
    • Digital Accountability: Mandate legal consequences for platforms and users propagating hate speech and incitement, moving beyond simple warnings.

This is not just about security.
It is about restoring faith in justice.
Because if the core institution of the judiciary itself is under siege, the Republic stands defenceless.

The promise of 'Amrit Kaal' demands that the leadership's righteous anger be transformed into decisive action, cleansing the poisonous Ganga of hate speech and selective justice to secure a truly Pious, Pure, and Proud ecosystem for the Republic of Bharat.

 

About the Author

Onkareshwar Pandey is an independent journalist, political analyst, author, and columnist with over 40 years of experience across Print, TV, Digital, and News Agency platforms. He has served as a bilingual editor ten times, most recently as Sr. Group Editor at Sahara Group. A prolific writer with 11 published books, he leads a digital think-and-do tank and is a member of the World Economic Forum and UNESCO-MIL Alliance. Currently, he serves as a Professor of Practice, recognized as a critical political strategist and founder of the Commonwealth Thought Leaders Forum, active in over 40 countries. Emaileditoronkar@gmail.com Mob - 9910150119

 

Hyperlinks for Data and Legal References

India Hate Lab Report (2024 – 74.4% Increase)
https://indiahatelab.com/2025/02/10/hate-speech-events-in-india-2024/

NCRB Data 2023 – Crimes Against SCs (57,789 Cases)
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/57789-cases-registered-for-committing-crime-against-scheduled-castes-in-2023-ncrb/articleshow/105123456.cms

Supreme Court on Hate Speech (Vishal Tiwari Case)
https://ibclaw.in/vishal-tiwari-vs-union-of-india-ors-supreme-court/

Supreme Court on Internet Hate Speech
https://lawbeat.in/top-stories/supreme-court-says-if-citizens-dont-value-of-freedom-of-speech-state-will-step-in-1512996

CJI Gavai Shoe Incident – Rakesh Kishore’s Motive
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/no-regrets-lawyer-who-tried-to-hurl-shoe-at-cji-gavai-in-court-reacts-shares-why-he-did-it/articleshow/124352979.cms

Existing Hate Speech Laws – IPC 153A, 295A
https://adrindia.org/sites/default/files/Details%20of%20IPC%20Sections%20153A,%20295%20&%20295A.pdf

Historical Attack on Gandhi (1934)
https://cjp.org.in/the-5-attempts-on-mahatma-gandhis-life-who-why-and-when/

Dhanbad Judge Murder Case (2021)
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/two-get-life-imprisonment-in-dhanbad-judge-murder-case-101659810446226.html

Y. Pooran Kumar IPS Suicide – SC/ST Act Invoked
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/haryana-ips-officer-suicide-sc-st-act-invoked-in-y-puran-kumar-case-after-wifes-request-fir-updated/articleshow/124123456.cms


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