Mumbai: Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, while pointing out the loopholes in protocol during his visit to his home state Maharashtra, said in a remark that protocol is a small thing but it is a discipline.

Mumbai: Chief Justice of India BR Gavai was on a visit to his home state Maharashtra on Sunday and during his visit, pointing out the loopholes in protocol, he said that protocol is a small thing but it is a discipline and should be thought about. Actually, an event was organized by the Bar Council of Goa and Maharashtra in honor of Supreme Court Chief Justice BR Gavai. During his address at this felicitation ceremony, the CJI pointed out the absence of three key officials – Maharashtra Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and Mumbai Police Commissioner.

CJI said, “The three pillars of democracy – judiciary, legislature and executive – are equal. Every constitutional institution should show respect to other institutions. If the Chief Secretary of the state, the Director General of Police of the state or the Commissioner of Police of Mumbai do not feel fit to come here, then they should think about it themselves. I do not have much to say about protocol… Even today, when I go to Amravati or Nagpur, I do not take an escort, but this matter is related to the respect of the judiciary. The head of the Constitution is coming to the state and you are showing such behavior, then I think they should think about it.

Well, I do not think much about such small things, but if someone else was in my place, he would have applied Article 142 by now (Justice starts laughing after saying this and then the people present there also start laughing and clapping). CJI said that, these are very small things but I mentioned it only because I said that they should know. When I was a lawyer, I got an opportunity to do important work. When I was a government lawyer, the judge of Nagpur court ordered that all the huts of Nagpur should be removed in 8 days. Then we challenged that order in the Supreme Court.

Vilasrao Deshmukh (Congress Chief Minister) had come to Nagpur at that time. We had engaged a senior advocate to argue the case but the senior advocate could not reach on time and I had to argue the case myself and I am happy that we were able to save lakhs of people from losing their roofs and the same concept was given by me and my colleague Justice Vishwanathan in Bulldozer Justice. I still say that home is a fundamental right of everyone. Whoever the person is, whether he is an accused or a crime has been proven against him, you cannot snatch the roof from his family’s head with the help of law.