"We are not interested in videos; we don't have time to watch," the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant remarked while refusing to urgently hear a plea seeking the Supreme Court's intervention over the police crackdown on student protesters at the Cockroach Janta Party's Jantar Mantar sit-in.

The petition was mentioned Wednesday before the Chief Justice-led bench by a lawyer who urged the court to take up the matter of its own accord. The court, however, declined to entertain the plea.

"Don't waste our time, and don't waste your time," Chief Justice Surya Kant told the lawyer.

The counsel argued that the students were protesting over issues of public importance, including the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, the conduct of the examination and reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Cutting the lawyer short, the Chief Justice said, "Thank you very much."

When the lawyer again referred to videos showing "police brutality", the CJI firmly said, "We don't have time. We don't want to watch videos."

Incidentally, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been spearheading protests over the NEET paper leak and other exam-related issues, draws its name from remarks made earlier this year by Chief Justice Surya Kant. He stoked a massive row when he referred to unemployed young people turning to journalism and activism as "cockroaches".

Following backlash, he clarified that his remarks were aimed only at those with "fake and bogus degrees."

However, within days of the Chief Justice's remark, the satirical platform known as CJP was born. In the span of two months, it not only amassed millions of followers on social media but also evolved into a movement capable of drawing tens of thousands onto the streets.

The CJP, its supporters, and numerous students have been camped for a month at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the national capital, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak. Activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk joined them on June 28 and began an indefinite hunger strike in support of their demands.

However, on June 18, Wangchuk was forcibly removed from the protest site by the police on Saturday and taken to Safdarjung government hospital. Those who tried to stop the police were slapped and pushed off the stage.

The CJP had already called for a 'Chalo Sansad' march on July 20, urging supporters to assemble in large numbers and walk towards Parliament. The march saw tens of thousands confront police action, bringing allegations of police brutality and mass detentions.

On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court had also declined to urgently hear a plea over the police action, observing, "Don't drag the Court into this."

- Ends

Published On:

Jul 22, 2026 11:25 IST