Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Monday told a petitioner not to take the issue of 'Cockroach Janata Party' so emotionally.
A lawyer had requested for immediate listing of the PIL filed in this regard.
According to Live Law, advocate NK Goswami argued that despite the clarification given by the Chief Justice of India on the cockroach statement, 'a distorted and malicious narrative' continues to persist.
Chief Justice Surya Kant told the lawyer, "Don't take it so emotionally."
The Chief Justice said that at present there is no immediate need to hear this case and it will be heard when the time comes.
The 'Cockroach Janata Party' is a satirical social media movement that emerged following a comment by Justice Surya Kant, in which the Chief Justice had said that unemployed youth attacking the system under the guise of online activism could be considered like 'cockroaches'.
The Chief Justice later clarified that he was referring to individuals holding fake degrees and not to all youth.
Following Justice Surya Kant's statement, a man named Abhijeet Deepak announced the "Cockroach Janata Party" on social media. His social media accounts quickly gained followers. Within hours, he surpassed the BJP, Congress, and other national parties on Instagram. His account was later suspended on Instagram, but a few hours later, he reappeared on Instagram with a new account.
How the Cockroach Janata Party came to be
After Justice Suryakant's statement, 'Cockroach Janata Party' (CJP) came into the centre of discussion.
A website has been created in its name on the internet and it has 23 million followers on Instagram and it is being told that more than two lakh people have registered themselves for its membership on the website.
The website of Cockroach Janata Party lists the name of its founder and convener as Abhijeet Deepak.
BBC News Marathi spoke to Abhijeet Deepak in detail, explaining why he started this kind of social media campaign.
Where did the idea for such a social media campaign come from? Abhijeet Deepak says, "I was watching a statement by the CJI (Chief Justice of India) on Twitter (now X) where he compared the youth of the country to cockroaches and parasites for criticizing the system and expressing opinions."
"I found this extremely ridiculous because the CJI is supposed to be the guardian of the country's Constitution, the Constitution that gives everyone the right to freedom of expression. Now, how can a person who is supposed to ensure the protection of freedom of expression compare the youth to cockroaches and parasites?"
What people are saying
A few days ago, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor wrote on the social media platform X, regarding the formation and popularity of the Cockroach Janata Party , "I am deeply moved by the rapid rise of the Cockroach Janata Party, which has gained millions of followers on Instagram in just five days."
He wrote, "I understand the frustration of young people and can see why they feel connected to this. This is why blocking this account on X is extremely harmful and unwise."
"Young people should have a platform to express their feelings, so instead of shutting down the CJP's account, it should be allowed to continue. In a democracy, there should be space for dissent, humor, satire, and even outrage."
Last week, political analyst Yogendra Yadav said in an interview with the BBC , "This 'Cockroach Janata Party', which started as a meme on social media, is not just a joke or anger. There is a rumbling and restlessness within the country because the established paths and doors of the system have closed. A joke or a joke is always linked to some deep pain, so we cannot analyze it as a joke. Banning it by the government could be the beginning of a serious change."
CPIML Liberation had defended the Cockroach Janata Party by posting on X.
The party wrote on X, "Does the Modi government think it can stop GenZy by blocking the social media handles of the Cockroach Janata Party?"
"What if Cockroach Janata Party starts an 'unfollow campaign' against the handles of BJP and Namo? X should respect internet freedom and restore the Cockroach Janata Party handle without any delay."
Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra also reacted to the ban on the Cockroach Janata Party's X handle, saying, "This is fascism. Not democracy. Our government is so afraid of the youth of this country that it can't even tolerate a virtual online protest. Please understand the kind of circumstances and pressures we face every day as opposition members."
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote on X , "The fact that a social media figment of imagination like CJP has captured the imagination and emotions of Gen Z is a sad sign that the youth have started losing hope in the current opposition parties."
"It's clear that there is resentment against the BJP, but it's unfortunate that voters are choosing to trust a new, imaginary party rather than the established opposition parties."
But at the same time, a social media user named M Nageshwar Rao had written that anti-national forces are fuelling the cockroach Janata Party.
A user named Neha Singh wrote, "The Cockroach Janata Party will actually benefit the BJP, because most of the people joining it are anti-BJP and have been supporting parties like Congress and AAP. But now they are disappointed with these opposition parties, so they are supporting CJP. If this party contests the elections, many anti-BJP people will vote for it. But the BJP's core voters are not going anywhere. In such a situation, the opposition votes will be divided and the BJP will benefit."
Image source,/CJP & Getty Images/BBCNews
