# CJI says cockroach remark misused to mislead youth

2026-08-14T16:07:46+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has said his oral remarks comparing some young people to 'cockroaches' were misquoted and circulated with 'malicious intent' to mislead the country's youth. In a DD News interview, he said the remark was taken out of context and urged responsible reporting of court proceedings. The May 15 comment, made while hearing a case on fraudulent law degrees, sparked a massive online backlash and inspired the satirical Cockroach Janta Party, which amassed over 23 million Instagram followers. The controversy escalated when NALSAR students opposed the CJI's convocation invitation, leading the Bar Council of India to briefly threaten their enrolment. The CJI also called for a stop to commercial misuse of court video clips.

## Coverage

- nationalheraldindia.com <https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/cji-suryakant-says-cockroach-remarks-misused-to-mislead-indias-youth-cjp-jantar-mantar>
- rediff.com <https://www.rediff.com/news/report/misquoted-with-malicious-intent-cji-surya-kant-on-cockroach-remark-row/20260814.htm>
- indiatoday.in <https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/cji-surya-kant-misquoted-remarks-supreme-court-clips-misuse-warning-ptag-2971272-2026-08-14?utm_source=rss>

Tags: Cockroach Janta Party, DD News, NALSAR, Supreme Court of India, Surya Kant, TISS
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