‘Don’t waste time’: CJI Kant refuses to take cognizance of police violence during CJP’s parliamentary march

The July 20 march witnessed clashes between protesters and security personnel who used lathis and tear gas to disperse crowds attempting to march towards Parliament. | Photo credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) declined to initiate suo motu proceedings to take cognizance of alleged police excesses during the crackdown on student protesters in the capital on July 20. When the lawyer said there were videos of police brutality against protesters, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant verbally refused to examine the videos, saying the court’s time should not be “wasted”.

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Mentioning the matter before a bench headed by the chief justice, the lawyer urged the court to take cognizance of the alleged police violence against the student protesters.

He pointed out that thousands of students gathered at the ‘Chalo Sansad’ protest organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demanding fair entrance exams, reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged exam paper leaks.

“The protest is already going on at Jantar Mantar. The police are already taking brutal action,” the lawyer added.

However, the Chief Justice cut it short. “Don’t waste our time and don’t waste your time,” he told the lawyer.

Still, the lawyer tried to convince the Bench and said the protest centered on issues affecting lakhs of students, including the conduct of the NEET exam and reforms in the NTA. “Students are asking for three very important prayers – that the NEET exams be conducted by the government in a free and fair manner… The NTA should definitely be dissolved,” he added.

As the bench, also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohan, said it did not want to hear him further, the lawyer said he had a collection of videos allegedly showing police personnel assaulting unarmed protesters and offered to produce them before the court.

“We are not interested in the videos. We don’t have time to watch them,” the chief justice observed, rejecting the request for an urgent hearing.

The apex court’s comments came a day after Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya also refused to grant an urgent hearing to a plea alleging excessive use of force by the Delhi Police during Monday’s protests. The chief justice rejected the request for immediate listing, remarking: “Don’t drag the court into it. It will come out tomorrow.”

The chief justice’s reported “cockroach” remark in reference to fake law degree holders during a writ petition hearing on May 15 sparked public outrage and the viral online platform Cockroach Janta Party, which is spearheading protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The Chief Justice offered “clarification” the next day in a statement that he had been misquoted by sections of the media and had the utmost concern and respect for the country’s youth.

On Monday (July 20, 2026), the Delhi Police cracked down on a ‘Chalo Sansad’ protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), injuring several protesters. The Hindu reported that at least one of the nearly 80 protesters injured during the march to Parliament suffered a gunshot wound and is receiving treatment at Lady Hardinge Medical College.

The police action came amid an internet shutdown in New Delhi district, even as CJPs Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka met Union Minister JP Nadda to formally demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The police action has since sparked a political storm, with opposition MPs protesting inside and outside Parliament before marching to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on Tuesday (July 21, 2026). Alleging that the government refused to allow a debate on the issue in Parliament, they staged a sit-in outside the Prime Minister’s residence after which they were detained by the Delhi Police.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi subsequently called on Prime Minister Modi to apologize to the students affected by the police crackdown. He also reiterated the opposition’s demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Published – 22 Jul 2026 12:23 IST