Rohit Pawar slams CJI’s ‘cockroaches’ remark on young journalists, activists

Rohit Pawar on Saturday criticised Chief Justice of India Surya Kant over his remarks likening some unemployed youngsters to “cockroaches”, calling the comments “absolutely unacceptable” and reflective of intolerance towards dissent and questioning.

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader said that while he had the highest respect for the judiciary, remarks of such nature from a Constitutional authority were deeply hurtful to a generation battling unemployment and economic uncertainty.

The controversy stems from oral observations made by a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi on Friday while hearing a matter related to conferment of senior advocate designation.

During the hearing, the bench reportedly remarked that unemployed youngsters later “become” media persons, social media activists or RTI activists and start attacking the system, while also referring to “parasites” in society.

‘Mocking an entire generation’

In a statement, Pawar said the remarks appeared to mock an entire generation struggling with “broken promises, lack of opportunities and rising unemployment”.

“Comparing the youth of India, RTI activists, media representatives, and those who express differing opinions to parasites or cockroaches is absolutely unacceptable. Such language reflects extreme intolerance towards critics and those who ask questions,” he said.

The Karjat-Jamkhed MLA noted that although the remarks may have been made in the context of petitions involving fake degrees and senior advocate designation, clubbing unemployed youth and RTI activists together was inappropriate.

He described RTI activists exposing corruption, journalists questioning transparency and students speaking against injustice as “pillars of democracy”.

‘Youth unemployed due to economic failure’

Pawar further said that young people in India were not unemployed by choice but were victims of “economic failure and political inefficiency”.

“Despite grand speeches about employment and development, lakhs of educated young people are struggling for dignity, jobs and survival,” he said.

“They seek accountability and a platform to voice their concerns,” the opposition leader added.

Calling for restraint from Constitutional institutions, Pawar urged the judiciary to exercise “sensitivity, restraint and constitutional wisdom” while speaking about unemployed youth.

“If institutions are afraid of questions raised by the youth, then the problem does not lie with the youth, but with the system,” he said.