New Delhi: A day after his “cockroaches” and “parasites” remark made headlines across India, Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Saturday issued a clarification, saying that a section of the media had misquoted his oral observations and falsely projected them as criticism of the youth of the country.
“I am pained to read how a section of the media has misquoted my oral observations made during the hearing of a frivolous case yesterday. What I had specifically criticised were those who have entered professions like the Bar (legal profession) with the aid of fake and bogus degrees. Similar persons have sneaked into the media, social media, and other noble professions as well, and hence, they are like parasites. It is totally baseless to suggest that I criticised the youth of our nation,” CJI Kant explained.
The CJI went on to state that he was proud of the country’s youth.
“Not only am I proud of our present and future human resource, but every youth of India inspires me. It is not an exaggeration to say that Indian youth have great regard and respect for me, and I too see them as the pillars of a developed India,” he said.
The remark which led to the controversy was made when a bench of CJI Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a petition linked to the designation of a lawyer as Senior Advocate.
Reprimanding the petitioner lawyer for aggressively pursuing a senior advocate designation, the bench questioned his conduct and the language he allegedly used on Facebook.
“The entire world may be eligible to become senior (advocate), but at least you are not entitled,” the bench told the petitioner.
The CJI said that if the Delhi High Court granted senior advocate designation to the petitioner, the Supreme Court would set it aside because of his professional conduct.
“There are already parasites of society who attack the system and you want to join hands with them?” the CJI remarked.
“There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment or have any place in profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, RTI activists and other activists and they start attacking everyone,” the CJI added.
CJI Kant’s comments led to an outrage.
The All India Lawyers Union in a statement called the CJI’s statement highly objectionable and unacceptable, “if not despicable”.
“It is unfortunate that such a statement came from the head of our judiciary; highly undemocratic and insult to young activists who contribute to the development of democracy. The youth has got pivotal role in moving forward the society and its values in tune with our constitutional ethos, especially when our cherished institutions fail,” the statement said.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha said in a post on X that the CJI’s language and the attitude reflected in his comments are concerning.
“The concern is not just the choice of words, but the attitude reflected in these comments. When the Chief Justice of a constitutional democracy compares unemployed youth, RTI activists, media workers, and dissenters to ‘cockroaches’ and ‘parasites’ it is not merely a matter of personal resentment; it offends the very spirit of democracy and its fundamental constitutional culture,” Jha wrote.
