Harish Salve reacts to CJI B. R. Gavai’s Lord Vishnu comment, warning that live-streamed hearings and platforms like LawChakra amplify every courtroom word. He stresses judicial restraint to safeguard the credibility of the Supreme Court.
In an exclusive episode of Legends With Arnab Goswami, senior advocate and Padma Bhushan awardee Harish Salve shared his candid views on the recent controversy involving Chief Justice of India (CJI) B. R. Gavai’s remark about Lord Vishnu during a Supreme Court hearing.
The comment, where the CJI reportedly told a petitioner to
“go and ask the deity himself to do something,”
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has sparked a national debate over judicial propriety and the growing influence of media in court proceedings.
Arnab Goswami began by condemning a recent attempt to harm the CJI physically in court, calling it
“an act that the nation has rightly condemned.”
He then asked Salve whether such remarks by the Chief Justice could have been avoided.
Responding to this, Harish Salve stressed the need for greater awareness among judges about the changing nature of courtroom exposure.
He said,
“Judges must now come to a reality. Speaking for myself, maybe I’m old school, but I do not like this idea of live streaming of hearings in courts,”
pointing out how every word uttered in court is now instantly picked up by online legal media platforms.
Discussing whether Justice Gavai’s comment on Lord Vishnu was accidental, Salve remarked that such incidents reflect how
“loose talk becomes a habit.”
He explained that when judges or lawyers frequently make strong off-the-cuff statements, it can lead to unintended controversies once those words appear in the media.
Salve also pointed out that the visibility of judges and court proceedings has led to an unhealthy habit of seeking publicity.
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He stated that some judges even reach out to journalists or media outlets about their coverage of court matters, showing how the relationship between the judiciary and the media has changed dramatically over the years.
According to Salve, this environment has created a tendency for casual courtroom commentary, which can sometimes cross lines of sensitivity or decorum.
He said,
“Then sometimes these kinds of comments come out,”
referring to the Lord Vishnu remark.
In closing, Salve reflected on the difference between judges and others in public life, noting that judges must be held to a higher standard of restraint.
“They should learn from you and me how restrained we are, how held back we are. I can afford to be irresponsible, they can’t,”
he said with a smile, before adding that this is one of the reasons he has never wanted to be a minister or a judge.
Harish Salve’s comments underline an important reality — that the judiciary operates in a vastly different media environment today, where every word and gesture is broadcast, analyzed, and debated in real time.
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