Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, while hearing a request for urgent listing of a plea concerning alleged police action against Cockroach Janta Party protesters, remarked that the court was not interested in watching videos and did not have time to do so.
The comment came after a lawyer sought urgent intervention, saying that videos on social media showed alleged police brutality during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest in Delhi. The CJI reportedly told the lawyer, “We are not interested in videos; we don’t have time to watch,” and later added, “Don’t waste our time.” The Supreme Court declined the request for urgent listing at that stage.
The episode has added another twist to the controversy surrounding the Cockroach Janta Party, an alleged political party that emerged after the NEET paper leak and following CJI’s comment that some unemployed youth and activists are “cockroaches” and “parasites of society”. The protesters have demanded action over issues concerning competitive examinations, including concerns around the conduct of NEET and reforms in the National Testing Agency.
While CJP and their political backers will complain about the CJI’s remarks, every rational person knows that the Supreme Court’s refusal to urgently list the matter does not amount to a final ruling on the allegations, and that courts have established procedures for deciding which matters require immediate intervention.
