'Does not sit right with us': NALSAR students oppose CJI Surya Kant as convocation chief guest over NEET controversy

A section of graduating students at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, has urged the university to reconsider its decision to invite Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as the chief guest for its 2026 convocation.

Students from the Batch of 2026 have written to the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, faculty members and other university officials, raising concerns over the invitation and citing recent judicial developments and remarks attributed to the CJI.

The students referred to remarks concerning the Jantar Mantar protest as well as the controversy over Justice Surya Kant's reported reference to some young people as "cockroaches".

"We, the undersigned students of [redacted] (2025-2026), share the concerns of the graduating batch regarding inviting the Hon’ble CJI, Justice Surya Kant, as our convocation’s Chief Guest," the letter read.

"From referring to the youth as ‘cockroaches’ to making insensitive statements about not having time to watch videos of police brutality, the CJI has shown apathy towards students like us. Inviting him to our college to hand us degrees that hold so much academic and emotional importance does not sit right with us," it further added.

The students argued that inviting the Chief Justice in the present circumstances would be inconsistent with values associated with constitutional accountability and academic freedom. They urged the university to reconsider the invitation and said the issue should be viewed as a concern shared across graduating cohorts.

"We request the University Administration to reconsider its proposal to extend the invitation to the Hon’ble CJI, and hope that the University treat this as a shared concern across the graduating cohorts rather than one raised by a single batch," the letter concluded.

How did the 'cockroach' controversy begin?

The controversy dates back to a Supreme Court hearing in May, during which Justice Surya Kant made remarks while hearing a matter concerning alleged fake law degrees and people entering the legal profession without proper qualifications.

The remarks were subsequently circulated on social media and were interpreted by some as a reference to unemployed or young Indians. This triggered criticism online and eventually gave rise to a satirical political initiative called the Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP.

Justice Surya Kant later clarified that his remarks had been misconstrued. He said he was referring to people allegedly using fake or bogus degrees to enter professions such as law and journalism, rather than unemployed youth in general.

From online satire to the Cockroach Janta Party

The Cockroach Janta Party was launched by Boston University student and political communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke shortly after the remarks went viral.

What began as an online satirical response soon developed into a youth-led campaign, with supporters adopting the cockroach as a symbol of resilience and using humour and political satire to raise concerns about unemployment, examinations and governance.

The group later moved beyond social media, organising and participating in protests, including demonstrations at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

Why did the CJP become part of the Gen Z protests?

The Cockroach Janta Party subsequently became associated with the wider youth protests that brought issues such as examination irregularities, unemployment and police action against protesters into public focus.

The movement gained attention during the 2026 Gen Z protests, with young demonstrators using the cockroach symbolism to represent their anger and frustration with institutions and political systems.

The NALSAR students' letter now brings the controversy back into focus in an academic setting, with the graduating students questioning whether Justice Surya Kant should preside over their convocation.

Justice Surya Kant became Chief Justice of India on November 24, 2025, after serving as a judge of the Supreme Court since May 2019. He is scheduled to retire on February 9, 2027.