Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder and national convenor Abhijeet Dipke has reportedly claimed that Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s use of the term “cockroach”, which sparked the Gen-Z movement, was aimed at the party’s co-convenor Saurav Das, whom Dipke described as an “OG Cockroach”.
Notably, CJI Kant had used the term “cockroaches” during a hearing in May this year while criticising what he described as increasing and unwarranted attacks on the judiciary and the legal system.
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Dipke says CJI Kant used ‘cockroach’ term for Das
In an interview with News24, Dipke claimed that CJI Kant used the term “cockroach” for Das over his reporting on the judiciary during his time as a journalist.
“The word cockroach was used for Saurav. He (Das) is an OG cockroach,” Dipke said.
Das, who was present during the interview, said several people had told him that the Chief Justice's remarks appeared to be directed at him because he was working on a profile of the CJI when he was working for a news organisation.
{{/usCountry}}Das, who was present during the interview, said several people had told him that the Chief Justice's remarks appeared to be directed at him because he was working on a profile of the CJI when he was working for a news organisation.
{{/usCountry}}“All the lawyers and the retired judges, when this comment came, they reached out and said that this comment has been said for you. Because at that time, I was pursuing a profile on Suryakantji. Those who are familiar with my work will know that I have also written a profile on former CJI DY Chandrachud,” he told the media outlet.
Das said he had also filed several RTI (Right to Information) requests related to the CJI at the time the remarks were made.
“So then he said that these young people, they don't find a job in their profession. And therefore, they become media, they become RTI activists, they attack the system. So people thought that it was possible,” he said.
Asked if he believed the remark could have been directed at him as well, Das replied, “It is possible”.
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What did CJI Kant say that led to CJP’s formation?
In May, CJI Kant was hearing a petition with Justice Joymalya Bagchi. Advocate Sanjay Dubey had filed a plea seeking contempt proceedings for the alleged delay by the Delhi high court in implementing the Supreme Court guidelines on designating senior advocates.
The CJI said, “There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment or have any place in profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, RTI activists and other activists and they start attacking everyone.” He further described such people as “parasites of society”.
The remarks soon went viral. The following day, Dipke announced the formation of the Cockroach Janta Party.