Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Saturday issued a clarification on his courtroom remarks where he compared a section of unemployed youth to “cockroaches”, saying that his words had been “misquoted” by sections of the media and that his criticism was directed solely at those who had entered professions through fake or bogus degrees.

“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,” the CJI said in his statement.

“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,” the CJI added.

The clarification came a day after a hearing in the Supreme Court, when the bench comprising the CJI and Justice Joymalya Bagchi pulled up a lawyer who had filed a petition seeking directions to the Delhi High Court over the designation of a senior advocate, a status he himself was aspiring to. Annoyed with what the bench called a “frivolous” petition, the CJI had made a series of sweeping observations from the bench.

“There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment and don’t have any place in a profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, some of them become RTI activists… and they start attacking everyone,” the CJI had said, warning that lawyers should not “join hands” with what he described as “parasites of society who attack the system”.

The bench dismissed the plea that was filed for the third time before the Supreme Court and told the petitioner that “the whole world might be eligible for senior designation, but at least you are not”. When the petitioner apologised and sought to withdraw his plea, the bench agreed.