Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has expressed worry about the dissemination of court video recordings on social media without sufficient context, claiming that his oral statements were “misquoted” and manipulated with “malicious intent” to deceive the nation’s youth.
On May 15, 2026, the CJI likened some people with phony degrees to “cockroaches” who turn into social media or RTI activists in order to undermine the system during a Supreme Court dispute.
The satirical internet campaign “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP) was inspired by the overwhelming young response that followed the CJI’s comment.
The CJI stated in an interview with DD News that videos of judicial sessions are being shared on social media these days without sufficient context.
“My comment was misquoted and misused,” stated CJI Kant, adding that whatever occurred was genuinely regrettable and clarifying that he could never think such things regarding the individuals involved. It presents what was not uttered as if it had been. This is quite regrettable. In particular, it is a serious and malevolent attempt to deceive the nation’s children,” the CJI stated.
“You are on social media, print media, or any form of media or you are simply a citizen,” the CJI stated, urging the media to cover court proceedings in a responsible manner. Everybody has constitutional rights, obligations, and responsibilities.
“When we speak of rights, we must also possess the capacity to fulfill our obligations. Therefore, I would urge them to keep their responsibilities in mind; we must all make tireless efforts to ensure that harmony prevails in society,” he stated.
A confrontation between the agitators and police on July 20 resulted from the more than month-long CJP-led rallies at the Jantar Mantar against the NEET-UG paper leak, injuring multiple people on both sides. Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union minister of education, resigned as a result of the demonstrations.
The CJI also cited his recent ruling prohibiting the unapproved distribution, reposting, uploading, and commercialization of audio and video recordings of court proceedings on social media and other online platforms.
Transparency in court procedures is essential, but it shouldn’t lead to their commercial exploitation, according to the 53rd CJI.
“We are dedicated to making the judiciary more transparent. Transparency is necessary. We began live streaming in the Supreme Court as an additional step in this approach. However, live-streaming shouldn’t be abused. It should not be utilized improperly for commercial purposes in particular. Small clips are abused by people for both personal and business purposes. The CJI stated, “That ought to end.”
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