CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday condemned the attack on Chief Justice of India B R Gavai during court proceedings and said this "shameful act" deserved the strongest condemnation.

The manner in which the CJI responded with grace, calm, and magnanimity showed the strength of the institution, but that cannot make us take the incident lightly, he said.

"The reason revealed by the attacker for his act shows how deeply the oppressive and hierarchical mindset still lingers in our society," the chief minister said in a post on 'X'.

"We must nurture a culture that respects and protects our institutions and demonstrates maturity in our conduct," he further said.

The "shameful act" against the CJI inside the Supreme Court was "an attack on the highest judicial office of our democracy and deserves the strongest condemnation," he said.

A 71-year-old lawyer allegedly attempted to hurl a shoe at Chief Justice Gavai on Monday.

Reacting calmly to the incident, the CJI told lawyers, "don't get distracted by all this. We are not distracted. These things do not affect me," and he continued hearing the mentioning of cases.