CJI Surya Kant denies, condemns casteist statement on social media attributed to him

New Delhi: In an unusual outburst, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday condemned and denied a casteist statement attributed to him, calling it a “vile, brazen and mischievous” concoction.

“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,” CJI Surya Kant said in a statement to PTI.

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

He was referring to certain posts currently in wide circulation on social media platforms, and specifically mentioned an account by the name @UnreservedMERIT on X.

The CJI's statement said that the social media account has falsely attributed the following statement, originally in Hindi, to him: “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." “These attributions are wholly baseless, malicious, and demonstrably false,” the statement said.

"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," it said.