Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday advised a lawyer not to take the controversy surrounding the ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ (CJP) “so sentimentally” after an urgent mention was made before the Supreme Court over the viral social media movement linked to his earlier courtroom remarks.
The observation came after advocate NK Goswami sought an urgent hearing on a petition alleging that a “distorted and malicious narrative” continued to circulate online despite a clarification issued earlier by the Chief Justice.
Mentioning the matter before a Bench led by the CJI, Goswami argued that the controversy was damaging the image of the judiciary. “Even after the clarification of the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, a distorted and malicious narrative is being spread… the image of the institution is being demonised,” the advocate submitted. Responding to the plea, Chief Justice Kant remarked, “Don’t take it so sentimentally.”
The petition reportedly sought legal intervention against what it described as the selective circulation and monetisation of oral observations made during courtroom proceedings. The advocate informed the court that the plea sought a declaration that verbal exchanges in court should not be commercially exploited or shared in ways that distort judicial proceedings.
The petition also called for legal action against social media entities allegedly profiting from courtroom remarks and sought an investigation into alleged misuse of judicial observations for publicity. In addition, the plea demanded a CBI probe into claims made by the Bar Council of India chairperson regarding the alleged prevalence of fake law degrees among practising advocates.
According to the advocate, the petition sought an inquiry into claims that “35 to 40 per cent fake law degrees” may exist within the legal profession. The court, however, declined to treat the matter as urgent. “There is no such great emergency. We will consider it,” the Chief Justice said.
The controversy stems from oral observations made by Chief Justice Kant during a hearing involving allegations of lawyers and activists targeting the judiciary. During the proceedings, the CJI had criticised what he described as individuals attacking institutions under the guise of activism. “There are already parasites of society who attack the system, and you want to join hands with them?” he had observed during the hearing.
Referring to certain social media activists, the CJI also remarked, "There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment and don’t have any place in profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, some of them become RTI activists, some of them become other activists, and they start attacking everyone.”
He further cautioned that the judiciary closely monitored online commentary targeting courts. "The things they are posting on Facebook, YouTube etc — do they think we are not watching?” he had said. Justice Kant had also expressed “serious doubts” over the authenticity of certain law degrees held by some Delhi-based advocates.
The remarks triggered widespread criticism online and led to the emergence of the satirical ‘Cockroach Janta Party’, a social media movement that rapidly amassed millions of followers within days by parodying the controversy. The movement gained traction after users interpreted the CJI’s comments as targeting unemployed youth and online activists.
However, on 16 May, Chief Justice Kant issued a strongly-worded clarification, saying he had been “pained” by reports suggesting that he had criticised young people. The CJI maintained that his remarks had specifically referred to individuals entering the legal profession using “fake and bogus degrees” and said he had been “misquoted by a section of the media”.
Despite the clarification, the controversy continued online, with the social media accounts associated with the Cockroach Janta Party later being suspended.
