A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and VM Pancholi stated that there was “no such grave urgency” in the matter, adding that the petitions would be considered in due course.
The observations came after advocates mentioned two Public Interest Litigations before the court. One petition sought action against the alleged commercial exploitation of courtroom observations, while another demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into activities connected with the satirical Cockroach Janta Party campaign.
During the hearing, advocate N. K. Goswami argued that the online movement was damaging the image of the judiciary. In response, the Chief Justice remarked, “Don’t take it so sentimentally.”
The petitions before the court included one filed by advocate Raja Choudhary, who sought a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into alleged fake advocates and fraudulent law degrees. The plea also called for action against what it described as the monetised circulation of oral observations made during Supreme Court proceedings.
A separate petition specifically targeted the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical online movement that has rapidly spread across social media platforms in recent days.
The controversy traces back to oral observations made by the Chief Justice during a hearing related to alleged fake law degrees and senior advocate designations. During that proceeding, the Chief Justice criticised what he described as a growing culture of institutional attacks and referred to certain individuals as “parasites of society.” He further stated that some unemployed youth become “like cockroaches,” targeting institutions through media platforms, social media activism, and Right to Information campaigns.
These remarks triggered immediate backlash online, with critics alleging that the judiciary had insulted unemployed youth. The Chief Justice later clarified that his remarks had been misquoted and were directed at individuals allegedly using fake and fraudulent degrees, not unemployed youth in general.
What began as a controversy has since evolved into a widespread online phenomenon. The Cockroach Janta Party, founded by Abhijeet Dipke, describes itself as the “Voice of the Lazy & Unemployed” and openly identifies as a satirical movement. The campaign has gained significant traction among younger audiences expressing frustration over unemployment, inflation, political privilege, and institutional disconnect.
Within days of its emergence, the movement reportedly accumulated millions of followers on Instagram, even surpassing the Bharatiya Janata Party in follower count. Its digital strategy relies on absurdist humour, satirical political messaging, exaggerated slogans, and mock revolutionary imagery aimed at issues such as unemployment and governance inefficiencies.
The movement’s manifesto includes demands such as the abolition of post-retirement Rajya Sabha seats for Chief Justices, electoral reforms addressing alleged vote deletions, increased representation for women, stricter action against misinformation, and extended bans on defecting legislators.
The Supreme Court’s decision to defer urgent hearing underscores the judiciary’s stance that the matter does not warrant immediate intervention, even as the online controversy continues to expand rapidly across digital platforms.
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