By Rakesh K. Singh

Copyright deccanchronicle

New Delhi:Following a wave of online criticism over his remarks during a hearing on the reconstruction of a Lord Vishnu idol in Khajuraho, Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai on Thursday affirmed his respect for “all religions.”CJI Gavai said: “Someone told me the other day that the comments I made have been portrayed on social media… I respect all religions.” He clarified that his earlier remarks were made in the context of the temple being under the supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India.Reacting to the remarks, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) national president Alok Kumar said in a statement: “We feel that the Chief Justice’s oral remark mocked the beliefs of Hindu religion. It would be better to avoid such remarks.” He added that courts are temples of justice in which society places faith and trust, and it is the duty of litigants, lawyers, and judges alike to exercise restraint in their comments.On Tuesday, a bench comprising CJI Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran dismissed a plea seeking directions to reconstruct and reinstall a seven-foot idol of Lord Vishnu at the Javari Temple, part of the Unesco World Heritage Khajuraho temple complex in Madhya Pradesh. Terming the case a “publicity interest litigation,” CJI Gavai had observed: “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 also remarked: “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 dismissal and oral observations triggered widespread criticism on social media. Clarifying in court on Thursday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said he had known Justice Gavai for a decade and affirmed that the CJI visits all religious places with equal reverence. He added: “For every action there is wrong and disproportionate social media overreaction. Something completely out of context is being attributed to the CJI.”Justice Vinod Chandran also referred to the harmful impact of misinformed social media posts, citing his own experience of having to recuse himself in a matter due to misleading online speculation. “Social media is, in fact, anti-social media,” he remarked.Senior advocate Sanjay Nul, who represented the petitioner in the Khajuraho matter, also expressed concern over the distorted posts, clarifying that the CJI never said what was being falsely attributed to him. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal added: “We suffer every day. It’s an unruly horse, with no way to tame it.”CJI Gavai, while reflecting on the negative impact of misinformation online, also referred to the recent violent protests in Nepal, underscoring the destabilising role of social media.