Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday issued a clarification over his controversial remarks comparing some unemployed youth and activists to “parasites” and “cockroaches”, saying his comments were directed only at individuals entering professions using fake degrees and not at India’s youth in general.

The clarification came amid sharp criticism from opposition leaders, activists, lawyers and journalists over the remarks made during a Supreme Court hearing on Friday.

According to reports cited by Live Law and Bar and Bench, the Chief Justice said a section of the media had “misrepresented” his observations and wrongly portrayed them as criticism of the country’s youth.

“I specifically criticised those who entered fields like the Bar using fake and forged degrees. Such people have also entered media, social media and other respected professions, therefore they are like parasites,” the CJI said in his statement.

He further said it was “completely baseless” to suggest that he had criticised India’s youth.

“I am proud not only of our present and future human resource potential, but every young Indian inspires me,” he said, adding that he viewed the youth as pillars of a “Viksit Bharat”.

The controversy erupted during a hearing before a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi on a plea related to conferment of senior advocate designation. The bench criticised increasing “attacks” on the judiciary and made remarks about certain sections of media, social media and RTI activists.

The court had said some unemployed youth who fail to establish themselves professionally “spread everywhere like cockroaches”, with some becoming media persons, RTI activists or social media commentators who “attack everyone”.

The petition filed by advocate Sanjay Dubey alleged irregularities in senior advocate designation procedures in the Delhi High Court. The bench eventually allowed withdrawal of the plea while strongly criticising the petitioner’s conduct.

The remarks sparked widespread criticism on social media and in political circles.

Manoj Jha wrote an open letter expressing concern over the use of terms such as “cockroaches” and “parasites”, saying such language from a constitutional authority hurt democratic values.

RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj said questioning authority was central to democracy and that citizens seeking accountability were strengthening, not attacking, institutions.

Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan described the remarks as “unfortunate” and said they conveyed a wrong message about activists and dissenters.