A petition was filed before the Attorney General of India on Tuesday seeking criminal contempt proceedings against two individuals for ‘inciting violence’ against the judiciary. The development came mere hours after a 71-year-old lawyer left everyone stunned with his attempt to hurl a show at Chief Justice BR Gavai. The incident took place in the Supreme Court on Monday and prompted the Bar Council of India to suspend his license with immediate effect. Several posts “provoking violence” against judges have since prompted outrage on social media.
‘Extremely dangerous public provocation’
According to a LiveLaw report, the founder of Mission Ambedkar had written the missive seeking permission to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against the duo. The missive alleged that a video featuring religious orator Aniruddhacharya alias Aniruddh Ram Tiwari had gone viral on social media ahead of the attack. Meanwhile right wing YouTuber Ajeet Bharti had posted a video mocking CJI Gavai soon after the incident.
“These statements and actions are aimed at provoking violence against the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India and other judges. The tone and tenor of such public provocation are extremely dangerous, and these posts have gone viral, creating heated debates and escalating tensions. Such behavior is unprecedented in the history of the Supreme Court of India,” the letter read.
The missive quoted by LiveLaw also insisted that the “independence of the judiciary and the foundation of our democracy could be placed in peril” if such individuals were not brought to justice. It reiterated that no court or judge should be stopped from discharging their duties without fear or favor — citing the objectionable comments made by the duo to underscore his point.
Who are Aniruddhacharya and Ajeet Bharti?
According to the petition, religious orator Aniruddhacharya alias Aniruddh Ram Tiwari had purportedly issued threats against the Chief Justice in late September. The now-viral comments had come following remarks attributed to the CJI in the Vishnu idol case. The founder of Gauri Gopal Ashram in Vrindavan is widely known for his engaging storytelling style and discourse on Hindu scriptures — gaining popularity through an extensive social media presence.
“If you want to get your chest ripped open, then let me know,” Tiwari is heard saying in the video that went viral on social media.
Meanwhile Ajeet Bharti is a controversial right-wing YouTuber and commentator who has a history of making contentious statements against the judiciary. The letter alleged that he had made objectionable statements on the same day as the attempted attack via social media.