'Vile, brazen & mischievous': CJI Surya Kant slams casteist remarks attributed to him on social media

NEW DELHI: In a rare incident of direct pushback, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant denied a statement that was shared on social media as attributed to him.

The CJI’s statement came as a social media account had falsely attributed to him the following remark, originally made in Hindi: “If a society, even after producing IAS, IPS, CJI, President, and PM from its ranks, still chooses to remain exploited, then the fault lies not with the Brahmins but with its own mentality.”

Calling the situation “vile, brazen and mischievous”, the CJI, in a statement to PTI said, "To manufacture a fictitious quote, and to attribute it to the highest judicial office of the land, is an act of rank dishonesty, deliberate social incitement, and contempt for constitutional values."

“Such reckless conduct strikes at the very foundation of public trust in the judiciary and the rule of law,” he further added in his statement.

Calling the claim fabricated, the statement said: “These attributions are wholly baseless, malicious, and demonstrably false.”

It further urged caution against the spread of misinformation, saying: "The Office of the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India calls upon all responsible citizens, media organisations, and social media platforms to refrain from amplifying false and contrived content."