New Delhi, July 13 -- Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant on Monday said preserving the dignity and sanctity of constitutional institutions is a collective responsibility, as he responded publicly for the first time to the recent courtroom incident in which a young lawyer allegedly used derogatory language against him and threw documents inside the courtroom.

Speaking at a felicitation ceremony organised by the All India Senior Advocates Association (AISAA), the Chief Justice struck a conciliatory note while emphasising the need to uphold respect for constitutional institutions.

"Bacche aise kai baar kar dete hain. Lekin main yeh kehna chahta hoon ki hamein constitutional institutions ki maryada aur sammaan banaye rakhna cha...