'Don't take it so sentimentally': Supreme Court refuses urgent hearing of plea against Cockroach Janta Party

The petition seeks a probe by the CBI into the activities of persons associated with the Cockroach Janta Party.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday told a petitioner not to take the Cockroach Janta Party issue so emotionally, when the lawyer mentioned a petition concerning it for urgent listing.

The petition filed in the Supreme Court seeks a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the activities of persons associated with the Cockroach Janta Party.

When advocate N K Goswami, appearing for the petitioner, said the party was tarnishing the image of the judiciary, a Bench of CJI Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V M Pancholi said, "Don't take it so sentimentally."

According to Bar and Bench, another lawyer said that the petitioners are seeking a CBI probe into the issue of fake lawyer degrees, adding that courtroom exchanges cannot be used for commercial purposes. In response, justice Surya Kant said, "There is no such grave urgency. We will see."

The Cockroach Janta Party is a satirical social media movement which emerged in response to an oral comment made by justice Surya Kant during a hearing where he equated unemployed youth attacking systems under the garb of online activism as "cockroaches".

The Chief Justice later clarified that he was referring to persons with fake degrees.

The social media handles of the Cockroach Janata Party, which amassed millions of followers within a matter of days, were later suspended.