Bar Council Chairman Defends CJI Surya Kant's 'Cockroach' Rebuttal, Claims 40% Lawyers Hold Fake Degrees

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, in an attempt to defend Chief Justice of India Surya Kant's controversial 'cockroach ' remark, said that the top judge was referring to those who obtain“fake degrees.”

While speaking to news agency IANS in Delhi, Mishra said,“The Chief Justice was referring to those who obtain fake degrees, wear black coats, bands, and robes, and appear in court. That statement was about them. The background of that situation was different.”

Mishra claimed that around 35-40% lawyers in India have a fake degree. He told the news agency,“When the Bar Council of India initiated the process to verify degrees, about 40% of the advocates did not fill up the verification forms. These 40% advocates are suspected to be fake." He added that the issue has been brought to the attention of CJI Surya Kant, who reportedly sought a CBI investigation into the issue.

Mishra made this statement while giving his views about the Cockroach Janata Party social media movement, which emerged following an oral comment made by the Chief Justice of India.

Cockroach Controversy

On 15 May, the Chief Justice of India courted controversy by likening unemployed youngsters to cockroaches, reportedly saying that they go on to "become" media, social media and RTI activists and start attacking the system.

The next day, he issued a stern clarification, saying,“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.”

Kant firmly stressed that his observations were aimed strictly at individuals who infiltrate the legal system using "fake and bogus degrees," asserting that his words had been "misquoted by a section of the media."

The controversy birthed a viral, satirical social media movement called the Cockroach Janta Party - which quickly gained millions of followers on social media; got its X account suspended; and crossed the BJP's follower count on Instagram.

Also Read | Why Govt asked X to withhold Cockroach Janta Party's account

Mishra, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, contended that the CJI's comments were directed at advocates practising law on suspected“fake degrees.”

"Their degrees are absolutely fake; they manufactured them somewhere or bought them from somewhere, and on that basis, they are practicing in courts,” Mishra said. He asserted that the Bar Council will issue a detailed media statement on the issue tomorrow.

He had reportedly brought up the issue of lawyers with fake degrees back in 2015 during a Lawyers Meet organised by the Bar Council in Chennai.

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