Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday said a section of the media had misquoted him on his “cockroaches” remark on Friday that has sparked outrage.
“I am pained to read how a section of the media has misquoted my oral observations made during the hearing of a frivolous case yesterday,” CJI Kant said in a statement, as reported by legal news websites.
“What I had specifically criticised were those who have entered professions like the Bar (legal profession) with the aid of fake and bogus degrees. Similar persons have sneaked into the media, social media, and other noble professions as well, and hence, they are like parasites,” he said.
On Friday, while warning of a CBI inquiry into the possibly fake law degrees of some Delhi advocates, many of whom the Supreme Court said had posted contemptuous and vile remarks against the judiciary, the CJI had said: “There are already parasites in society who attack the system and you want to join them? There are youngsters like cockroaches. They don’t get any employment and don’t have any place in the profession.”
He was addressing advocate and petitioner Sanjay Dubey.
“Some of them become media, some of them become social media, some of them become RTI activists and some of them become other activists. They start attacking everyone,” the CJI had added.
In his statement on Saturday, the CJI said: “It is totally baseless to suggest that I criticised the youth of our nation. Not only am I proud of our present and future human resource, but every youth of India inspires me. It is not an exaggeration to say that Indian youth have great regard and respect for me, and I too see them as the pillars of a developed India.”