New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice Surya Kant’s remarks on Friday (May 15) when he hit out at unemployed youth in the country comparing them with cockroaches, and suggesting they become media and social media activists critical of the system, has drawn criticism, with activists, lawyers, journalists and even members of parliament questioning the CJI’s language that goes against the spirit of democracy.On Saturday (May 16) CJI Kant issued a clarification saying that a section of the media had “misquoted him.”“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. 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,” said the CJI, reported LiveLaw.“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,” CJI Kant added.Earlier, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha in a post on X had said that not only is the CJI’s language concerning but that it comes from the chief justice of a constitutional democracy.“The concern is not just the choice of words, but the attitude reflected in these comments. When the Chief Justice of a constitutional democracy compares unemployed youth, RTI activists, media workers, and dissenters to ‘cockroaches’ and ‘parasites’ it is not merely a matter of personal resentment; it offends the very spirit of democracy and its fundamental constitutional culture,” he wrote.Jha said that the “moral authority of a constitutional office derives not merely from its powers, but from the restraint, sensitivity, and constitutional morality it represents.”“It has been a beautiful tradition in our judicial history that the courts have, even through words, given dignity to democracy.”Jha also said that it was India’s “unemployed youth, RTI activists, independent journalists, and dissenting citizens” who are among the “many voices that keep democracy breathing and expand the horizons of hope.”The CJI’s remarks came on Friday while questioning the genuineness of the law degrees of some advocates who had approached the top court over senior designations.“There are already parasites of society who attack the system and you want to join hands with them? There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment and don’t have any place in profession,” he said. “Some of them become media, some of them become social media, some of them become RTI activists, some of them become other activists, and they start attacking everyone…and you people file contempt petitions!”The All India Lawyers Union in a statement called the CJI’s statement highly objectionable and unacceptable, “if not despicable”.“It is unfortunate that such a statement came from the head of our judiciary; highly undemocratic and insult to young activists who contribute to the development of democracy. The youth has got pivotal role in moving forward the society and its values in tune with our constitutional ethos, especially when our cherished institutions fail,” the statement said. “The constitutional position and stature of the CJI demands more restrain in dealing with situations without making sweeping generalisation out of proportion.”The statement also said that unemployment is not the fault of the youth but rather the failure of government policy.“Irresponsible action of a young person or young lawyer should not lead to such a disparaging statement; unemployment is not fault of the youth- it is the fault of developmental path and policy followed by the government and the state; they are the victims. Activism is not sanitized puritanism, but that does not make it puerile or evil,” the statement added.Journalist Piyush Mishra in a post named four NEET aspirants who died by suicide days after the exam was cancelled following paper leak.Four “cockroaches” died of suicide after NEET paper cancellation:Pradeep MahichSiddharth HegdeAnshikaRitik Mishra— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) May 16, 2026Lawyer Gautam Bhatia, without mentioning the CJI’s remarks, posted a link of an article on the ecological importance of cockroaches, to highlight their role in nature.“Most of the 5,000 known species of cockroaches, plus probably just as many that have not been described, have huge ecological importance,” he wrote, quoting the article.YouTubers have also taken to posting videos, like this one, wearing a placard that says “Main cockroach hu” (I am a cockroach) and shows how untreated sewage water is flowing through drain created for rainwater flow, pointing to how youth have had to become activists due to a collapse of the system itself.Other YouTubers like Amit Kilhor, in his videos, have pointed to how the most highly regarded judges in the world are those, including Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer and Justice P.N. Bhagwati are known for their liberal judgements that have expanded democracy, even as the CJI himself has chosen to make such disparaging remarks against unemployed youth, who are left unemployed due to failure of government policy.