A remark made in a courtroom barely ten days ago has now come back to the same court as the central issue in two petitions. In the interim, much has unfolded, with the term “cockroach” emerging as the symbol of an online campaign, derived from a comment by the Chief Justice of India.
On Monday, when advocate N.K. Goswami presented his petition against the Cockroach Janta Party before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s bench, arguing that the satirical campaign was damaging the judiciary’s reputation, the CJI is reported to have responded, “Don’t take it so emotionally.”
Another petition was submitted by advocate Raja Choudhary, who primarily requested an investigation into allegedly fake lawyers, while also calling for action against the purported “commercial exploitation and monetised circulation” of oral remarks made in court, according to news agency PTI. Choudhary stated that the inquiry should be conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The bench comprising the CJI and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V.M. Pancholi refused to accord priority to the hearing, stating that there was no grave urgency and that the matter would be considered in due course.
The remark that started it
Advocate Choudhary specifically referred to oral remarks made in the courtroom during recent hearings before the apex court. This was because the satirical social media campaign emerged in reaction to an oral observation by the Chief Justice of India.The Chief Justice of India had addressed the problem of fraudulent law degrees while considering a lawyer’s application for designation as a Senior Advocate.
“There are already societal parasites who are attacking the system, and you wish to align yourself with them?” the CJI remarked.He had further remarked that there are some youngsters, whom he compared to cockroaches, who are unable to find employment or a place in any profession. According to him, some of them join the media, some turn to social media, some become RTI activists, and others take up different forms of activism, and then they begin attacking everyone.
Clips of the remarks spread widely online, especially among young people angered by unemployment and exam paper leaks, including the recent irregularities in the NEET-UG medical entrance test.The CJI later attempted to clarify that he had been “misquoted,” explaining that his remarks were aimed at people entering professions with fraudulent degrees, rather than at unemployed youth in general.
Around that time, political communication strategist Abhijeet Dipke from Maharashtra now studying at Boston University in the United States—had created social media pages called Cockroach Janta Party, turning the term into the movement’s defining label. As one might expect, the logo featured a cockroach.
What the CJP says it is
The organization has gained almost 23 million Instagram followers in less than two weeks.Group chief Dipke has been sharply criticised and accused by the ruling BJP, including claims that he has “Pakistani followers”, which he has refuted by citing statistics and he has also faced legal proceedings related to his X account. His Instagram handle and website were reportedly hacked and later recovered.
He has voiced concerns that he would be sent to Tihar Jail if and when he goes back to India. In the meantime, police have deployed security outside his parents’ residence “to prevent crowding,” while both his mother and father have said they are anxious about his safety.However, the CJP handle keeps posting videos of people across various parts of India staging peaceful anti-corruption demonstrations while dressed as “cockroaches,” creating graffiti, or displaying printouts of the CJP website banner in random public locations.
On Sunday, the CJP shared a statement on its Instagram page setting out its future course: “Cockroaches are the ultimate survivors, enduring in dark corners and withstanding every effort to eliminate them. That is often what it feels like to be young in this country abused, ignored and sidelined, yet refusing to give up on life.”
The movement stated that it aimed to create an independent, youth-led initiative dedicated to elevating young people’s concerns and ensuring government accountability, emphasizing that its principles are grounded in the Constitution.
It affirmed its commitment to secularism, democracy, and social justice, and announced plans to gather suggestions in order to transform the strongest proposals into targeted campaigns. Referring to the repression it has encountered, the post called it regrettable, though not entirely unexpected.
“We will address these concerns in a constructive manner without resorting to partisan politics,” the CJP statement said. Dipke has previously collaborated with the AAP, which itself arose from an anti-establishment wave in 2011–12 against the then Congress-led UPA government. Meanwhile, the BJP’s NDA partner from Andhra Pradesh, the ruling TDP in the state, has described the “cockroach” movement as “a result of youth frustration” that “should not be interpreted politically”. Leaders from the principal Opposition party, the Congress, and the TMC in Bengal, among others, have voiced support for the issues highlighted by the CJP.
However, one of the two petitions before the Supreme Court adopts a completely different perspective on the movement, alleging that it profited from the Chief Justice of India’s oral observations. “The Petitioner respectfully submits that subsequent events, including activities linked to the ‘Cockroach Janta Party,’ purported trademark-related commercial claims, branding initiatives, and monetised online dissemination, prima facie indicate a coordinated commercial exploitation of judicial controversy and oral courtroom exchanges,” it states.
