The Supreme Court of India refused urgent hearing on a plea seeking a CBI probe into activities linked to the satirical Cockroach Janta Party, while CJI Surya Kant remarked, “Don’t take it so sentimentally,” during the hearing before the Bench.
The Supreme Court declined to grant an urgent hearing on a plea seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the activities of individuals linked to the Cockroach Janta Party a satirical social media movement that reportedly drew inspiration from a recent “cockroach” remark by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant.
When Advocate NK Goswami, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that the Party was damaging the judiciary’s image, the Bench comprising CJI Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and VM Pancholi remarked:
“Don’t take it so sentimentally.”
Another counsel argued that the petitioners were asking for a CBI probe into the issue of fake lawyer degrees and stated that courtroom exchanges should not be used for commercial purposes.
Reacting to this, the CJI said:
“There is no such grave urgency. We will see.”
The Petition:
The petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking action against the satirical online political movement “Cockroach Janata Party” (CJP) and individuals associated with it. The petition alleges that CJP is commercially exploiting observations made by the top court during a recent case.
The plea, submitted by practising lawyer Raja Chaudhary argued that the creation of the movement and the subsequent appropriation/registration of the trademark for the party name “CJP” amount to “selective extraction” and “sensational dissemination” of the Supreme Court’s May 15 remarks. On that date, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant reportedly referred to young people who obtain fake degrees, enter professions, and target institutions through social media as “cockroaches”.
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The petition noted that a clarification was issued the following day by the CJI, explaining that his comments were not intended to target youngsters, but rather persons holding fake degrees. Despite this, the petitioner claims that a digitally formed political entity like the CJP has been using such allegedly distorted statements to generate publicity and online engagement, promote merchandise, build satire-based branding, and potentially pursue commercial gain.
The petition also seeks a CBI probe into what it describes as the “real concern” expressed by the CJI namely concerns relating to fake advocates, fraudulent law degrees, impersonation within the legal profession, and the resulting decline in professional standards.
This is stated to be the first petition against CJP, which in recent days has gained traction on social media by adopting the CJI’s “cockroach” remark. The movement is said to have been started by Abhijeet Dipke, a resident of Boston in the United States.
The plea concluded that:
“Selective extraction and sensational dissemination of oral exchanges increasingly distort administration of justice and transform judicial proceedings into media spectacle…”
Factual Backgrounds:
The controversy began after reports emerged from a hearing held on May 15, where the Chief Justice was alleged to have compared unemployed youth engaging in activism through media, social media, and RTI platforms to “cockroaches” and “parasites.” During the proceedings, Justice Kant reportedly observed: “Nowadays, unemployed youngsters are engaging in media activism, social media activism and RTI activism. Like cockroaches, they are everywhere.” The remarks quickly sparked outrage online, particularly among young social media users frustrated over unemployment and recurring controversies surrounding competitive examinations.
As criticism mounted, Justice Kant later issued a clarification, asserting that his comments had been taken out of context and inaccurately reported. Clarifying his position, the Chief Justice stated that the observations were aimed specifically at individuals entering professions through fraudulent qualifications. He said the remarks were directed at people using “fake and bogus degrees” and added that reports suggesting he had insulted India’s youth were “totally baseless”.
The controversy soon transformed into a viral internet movement under the banner “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP). What began as satire rapidly evolved into a broader form of online political commentary. The movement was reportedly founded by former AAP social media worker Abhijeet Dipke, popularly known online as Dipke. Within two days of its launch, the group claimed to have attracted more than 40,000 members.
The party describes itself as “a political party for the lazy, the unemployed, and the chronically correct”, humorously declaring its headquarters to be “wherever the wifi works”. Despite its satirical presentation, the outfit’s manifesto contains pointed political demands. Among them are a ban on post-retirement Rajya Sabha positions for former Chief Justices of India, a 20-year election disqualification for MLAs and MPs who defect from political parties, and 50 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and Union Cabinet positions.
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