CJI Surya Kant says 'cockroach' remark was misquoted, misused with malicious intent

Speaking to DD News, CJI Kant expressed concern over the growing circulation of short clips from court proceedings on social media without the surrounding context.

“My comment was misquoted and misused. What was not said is presented as though it was said. This is extremely unfortunate. Particularly, it is a major malicious attempt to mislead the youth of the country,” he said.

'What happened was truly unfortunate'

The CJI was referring to remarks he made during a hearing on May 15, 2026, when he compared certain individuals holding fraudulent degrees to “cockroaches” who allegedly become social media or RTI activists to target the system.

The comment triggered a strong reaction among young people and led to the emergence of the satirical online movement “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP).

CJI Kant said the subsequent controversy was unfortunate and clarified that he could not have imagined the comments being interpreted in the manner in which they were circulated.

He also urged the media to exercise greater responsibility while reporting judicial proceedings.

CJI appeals for responsible social media use

The Chief Justice said constitutional rights come with corresponding responsibilities and called for collective efforts to preserve social harmony.

“You are on social media, print media or any form of media or you are simply a citizen. All of us have rights and constitutional duty and responsibilities,” he said.

“When we speak of rights, we must also possess the capacity to fulfil our obligations,” he added.

CJI Kant urged citizens and the media to keep these responsibilities in mind and work towards ensuring that harmony prevails in society.

CJP protests over NEET-UG row

The controversy surrounding the CJI's remarks also became intertwined with the CJP-led protests at Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.

The protests continued for more than a month and culminated in a clash between protesters and police on July 20, leaving several people injured on both sides.

The wider controversy over examination irregularities also led to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister.

Supreme Court moves against unauthorised clips

The CJI also referred to a recent Supreme Court order restricting the unauthorised dissemination, reposting, uploading and monetisation of audio and video recordings of judicial proceedings on social media and other digital platforms.

He said transparency in the judiciary was essential and pointed to the Supreme Court's decision to introduce live-streaming of proceedings as part of that effort.

However, he cautioned against the commercial exploitation or misleading use of court proceedings.

“We are committed to bringing transparency into the judiciary. There should be transparency. As a further step in this direction, we started live streaming in the Supreme Court,” he said.

“But live-streaming should not be misused. Particularly, it should not be misused commercially. People misuse small clips for their personal gain, for commercial gain. That should stop,” he added.

'Transparency should not mean misuse'

The CJI's comments come amid growing concerns over the use of short, decontextualised clips of court proceedings online, where isolated remarks can quickly circulate without the arguments, questions or explanations that preceded them.

While reiterating the need for an open and transparent judiciary, CJI Kant stressed that judicial proceedings should not be selectively edited or commercially exploited in a manner that distorts their meaning.