Modi Condemns Shoe Being Thrown at CJI Gavai, Hindutva-supporters Celebrate; No Word from EC on How Many 'Illegal' Migrants' Names Detected; SC Issues Notice In Habeas Corpus Plea By Wangchuk's Wife

Pakistan Responds to Indian Army Chief’s ‘Will Erase from Map’ Comment, Nirav Modi Will Not be Questioned, India Assures UK, Diaspora Not Spokesperson for Indian Govt in US, Hindu Group Chief Says

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Snapshot of the day

October 6, 2025

Sidharth Bhatia

Bihar will go to polls in two phases: one on Friday, November 6 involving 121 of the state’s 243 constituencies, and the other on Monday, November 13 where the remaining 122 constituencies will vote. Some 7.42 crore people will be eligible to cast their votes during this election, a number that is around 6% lower than the number of electors on Bihar’s rolls just before the contentious special intensive revision began this June. Addressing the media yesterday, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar did not say how many ‘foreign illegal immigrants’ – the disqualification of whom was one of the SIR’s stated objectives – were detected or for what reason 47 lakh names on balance were deleted. Sravasti Dasgupta further reports that he said a district-wise list of deleted names has been provided to political parties.

November’s elections in Bihar – with which the EC will simultaneously conduct by-polls to seven assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Telangana, Punjab, Mizoram and Odisha – will also mark the debut of Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj party. Given how thin victory margins often were in the 2020 assembly elections, Jan Suraaj’s entry could have a big impact on the results, Pavan Korada recalls.

However, EC’s drive to push for opacity is unremitting as the final electoral roll in Bihar is not in the same format as the draft electoral rolls - as mandated by the Supreme Court of India.

A 71-old-lawyer tried to throw a shoe at Chief Justice BR Gavai today, following which he was escorted outside the courtroom. Justice Gavai, per reports, kept his cool and urged lawyers to ignore what had just happened. The advocate, whom the Bar Council of India has identified as Rakesh Kishore and whose license it suspended, was apparently unhappy with Justice Gavai’s recent remarks on a plea seeking the restoration of a Vishnu idol in Khajuraho; while being taken outside the courtroom Kishore reportedly said that India would not tolerate insults to sanatan dharma. PTI quoted the chief justice as saying during the Vishnu idol hearing last month:

“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.”

He later said he respects all religions and that “we said it is within the monuments controlled by the Archaeological Survey of India and how can we pass orders”. Hours after the incident Prime Minister Modi on Monday evening condemned the incident and said he had spoken to the top judge. Opposition politicians too reproached Kishore’s actions. The law ministry has not issued a statement on what happened.

Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Hegde recalled that this is not the first time someone has tried to hurl something at a sitting judge:

“CJI [Mohammad] Hidayatullah, also from Nagpur had a shoe thrown by a disgruntled litigant. He ordered the shoe to be returned saying, ‘The man has lost his case, he should not lose his shoe as well’.”

Here’s a thread on how a Hindutva influencer and other right-wingers are openly celebrating the lawyer who threw a shoe at the sitting CJI with some accounts even demanding a Bharat Ratna for the lawyer.

Another bench of the top court today issued notice to the Modi government in a habeas corpus petition filed by Sonam