Delhi High Court Refuses Urgent Hearing on PIL Seeking Curbs on Cockroach Janta Party Protest

June 5, 2026 : The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to grant an urgent hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed ahead of a proposed protest in the national capital by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), scheduled to take place on June 6 at Jantar Mantar.

The matter was mentioned before a Vacation Bench comprising Justice Saurabh Banerjee and Justice Amit Sharma by Save India Foundation, a non-governmental organisation seeking immediate judicial intervention. The NGO urged the Court to issue preventive and regulatory directions in connection with the planned demonstration, citing concerns over public order, safety and civic disruption. However, the Bench refused to list the petition for urgent hearing and did not pass any interim directions.

According to the petitioner, the proposed gathering had the potential to create law and order challenges and could adversely impact public peace, traffic movement and normal civic functioning in Delhi. The PIL sought a range of measures, including crowd-management arrangements at key transit points such as Indira Gandhi International Airport, metro stations and major highway entry routes. It also requested that the protest be shifted to an alternative venue to avoid disruption to public infrastructure and emergency services.

The controversy originates from a protest call issued by the Cockroach Janta Party, a political satire movement founded by Boston-based Abhijeet Dipke. The organisation emerged after observations made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a Supreme Court hearing on May 15. During the proceedings, the Chief Justice expressed concern over unemployed youth allegedly turning to social media activism and RTI-related activities, remarking that some were becoming like “cockroaches” and acting as parasites in society. He later clarified that the comments were aimed at individuals with fake educational qualifications engaging in such activities.

Following those remarks, the Cockroach Janta Party was launched as a satirical platform focused on issues such as unemployment, institutional accountability, governance and media freedom. The group has announced a public gathering in Delhi to protest alleged irregularities in the NEET examination process, paper leak controversies and concerns relating to CBSE examinations. It has also called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

In its plea, Save India Foundation alleged that communications circulated in support of the protest contained references to political instability and unrest witnessed in neighbouring countries, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. The NGO argued that certain messages associated with the movement could foster hostility towards public institutions and the elected government, warranting preventive action by authorities.

The petitioner further claimed that some communications included calls for political mobilisation against the Union Government and warnings regarding possible consequences if organisers were arrested. According to the NGO, these factors justified regulatory intervention to safeguard public order.

The High Court, however, declined to entertain the request for urgent listing. As a result, the proposed protest remains scheduled to proceed on June 6, subject to any restrictions or regulatory measures imposed by the competent authorities.

Save India Foundation has previously faced criticism from the Delhi High Court in other PIL matters. In earlier proceedings relating to mosques and dargahs, the Court had questioned the merit of certain petitions filed by the organisation and expressed dissatisfaction with its approach to public interest litigation.