New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday advised a petitioner not to take the ongoing “Cockroach Janata Party” controversy “so emotionally” after a lawyer sought urgent listing of a related plea before the Supreme Court.
Advocate N.K. Goswami mentioned the matter orally and argued that despite clarification issued by the Chief Justice earlier, a “distorted and malicious narrative” continued to circulate online.
Responding to the request, the Chief Justice remarked, “Don’t take it so sentimentally,” and did not agree to urgent listing of the matter.
The controversy had erupted after remarks attributed to the Chief Justice allegedly referring to some critics or Gen Z social media users as “cockroaches” and “parasites,” triggering widespread online criticism. The Chief Justice later clarified that the comments were directed at individuals with fake degrees.
Following the incident, the phrase “Cockroach Janata Party” (CJP) began trending online and evolved into a satirical social media movement, rapidly gaining traction across platforms.
The online campaign reportedly drew massive engagement, with its Instagram presence gaining millions of followers in a short span. Users circulated hashtags such as #MainBhiCockroach, linking the trend to broader concerns about education, job opportunities, and institutional accountability.
What began as a meme-based reaction has since developed into a larger online expression of frustration among sections of young users over exam controversies and governance issues.
Separately, another petition related to the issue was also mentioned before the court, seeking restrictions on the monetisation of courtroom remarks and a CBI probe against alleged fake legal practitioners.
The Chief Justice, however, observed that there was no urgency in the matter and indicated that the petition would be listed in due course.
