‘Not said, but presented as if it was’: CJI Surya Kant says ‘cockroach’ remark ‘misquoted’
NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has said that his oral remarks during a Supreme Court hearing were “misquoted” and later used with “malicious intent” to mislead the country’s youth, amid controversy over a comment that sparked the satirical online movement “Cockroach Janta Party”.“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,” Kant in a DD News interview.Kant expressed concern over short clips of court proceedings being circulated on social media without the necessary context.“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 further said.“When we speak of rights, we must also possess the capacity to fulfil our obligations. Therefore, I would urge them to keep their responsibilities in mind; we must all make tireless efforts to ensure that harmony prevails in society,” he added.
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On May 15, while hearing a case in the Supreme Court, Kant had compared certain individuals with fraudulent degrees to “cockroaches” who become social media or RTI activists to attack the system.The remarks triggered widespread backlash among young people and inspired the satirical “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP) movement.The CJP later led protests at Jantar Mantar over the NEET-UG paper leak. The over-a-month-long agitation culminated in a clash between protesters and police on July 20, leaving several people injured on both sides. The protests also preceded the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
