New Delhi, Sept. 19 -- Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai on Wednesday asserted that he respects all religions, suggesting he did not intend to hurt the sentiments of any community while dismissing a petition earlier this week that sought the restoration of a seven-foot beheaded idol of Lord Vishnu at the Javari temple, part of the Khajuraho group of monuments in Madhya Pradesh. "Someone told me the other day that the comments I made have been portrayed in social media in a certain manner...I respect all religions," the CJI said. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta and senior counsel Kapil Sibal, who were present in the court for a matter, underlined the danger social media presents in the modern times. "This is serious. We used to know the Newton's third law that every action has an opposite and equal reaction. But now, every action has a disproportionate social media reaction," Mehta said. Sibal, on his part, added: "We suffer everyday. This is an unruly horse and there appears no way to tame it." The CJI's statement came in the wake of criticism on social media over the CJI's reported comments during Tuesday's hearing, which many alleged were offensive to the Hindu community and its deity. "The petition was not entertained because there were strong legal grounds to do so. There was absolutely no intention to cause hurt to anyone's faith or religious beliefs," the CJI said in court on Wednesday. The controversy was further amplified after Delhi-based advocate Vineet Jindal addressed a letter to the CJI on Tuesday evening, urging him to withdraw his remarks. Jindal wrote that the observations had offended the religious sensibilities of Hindus, adding that they were being widely discussed across platforms. On Tuesday, a bench of CJI Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran declined to entertain a plea filed by one Rakesh Dalal, who sought directions to restore the idol. The bench held that the issue fell within the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and not the Court. During the hearing, the CJI had remarked to the petitioner: "Go and ask the deity itself to do something now. You say you are a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. So go and pray now. It's an archaeological site and ASI needs to give permission etc. Sorry." The petition, argued by senior advocate Sanjay M Nuli, claimed that the idol was mutilated during Mughal invasions and had remained in a damaged state despite repeated representations to the government to restore it. It narrated the history of the Khajuraho temples, built by the Chandravanshi kings, and alleged that both colonial neglect and post-independence inaction had left the idol unrepaired even 77 years after independence. The petitioner argued that the refusal to restore the idol violated devotees' fundamental right to worship. The plea also pointed to protests, memoranda and campaigns by devotees that had gone unanswered by authorities. While refusing to entertain the petition, the bench stressed that the issue lay squarely within the domain of the ASI, which is entrusted with the maintenance and conservation of monuments protected under law. However, the CJI's remarks during the hearing triggered backlash, with clips and quotes circulating online....