New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to urgently hear two petitions linked to the viral “Cockroach Janta Party” controversy, with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant telling one petitioner not to take the matter “so sentimentally.” The court observed that there was no immediate urgency in the issue and assured that the pleas would be listed in due course. The remarks came during separate mentions before a bench comprising the CJI and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
One of the petitions was mentioned by advocate NK Goswami, who argued that a “distorted and malicious narrative” surrounding the controversy was continuing despite the Chief Justice’s earlier clarification. Another plea sought a CBI probe into alleged fake law degrees and demanded restrictions on the monetisation of oral court observations on social media, claiming that judicial comments were being used for publicity and online campaigns. However, the bench declined to grant urgent listing in either matter.
The controversy began after remarks made by the CJI during a May 15 hearing, where he compared people attacking institutions under the guise of online activism to “cockroaches” and “parasites.” The comments triggered widespread backlash online, with many social media users interpreting them as targeting unemployed youth. Soon after, the satirical “Cockroach Janta Party” movement went viral across Instagram and X, gaining millions of followers before several accounts were suspended. A day later, the CJI issued a clarification stating that his remarks were aimed specifically at individuals entering the legal profession through fake degrees and that sections of the media had misquoted him.
