The High Commission of India in London has condemned what it called “indecorous audience behaviour” at a lecture by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, after a video showing an attendee being stopped while trying to raise questions about the state of dissent in India circulated widely on social media.
The Indian mission’s statement, issued on Friday, followed the spread of clips from an interactive session after the CJI’s lecture on ‘Artificial Intelligence and International Law’ at Birkbeck College, University of London, on June 4, during his ongoing visit to the United Kingdom.
“Such indecorous audience behavior is unacceptable and inconsistent with respectful engagement that should govern public discourse,” the High Commission said.
“Differences of opinion are a natural part of a democratic society. However, they must be expressed in a manner that is civil and respectful,” it added.
The question that was stopped
In one video, a woman in the audience first refers to the CJI’s remarks before turning to the subject of dissent.
“His Lordship made some very important points, I think, about the Indian track record of protecting democracy in the context of AI,” she says, according to clips of the exchange shared on X by many users.
“We now hear from a number of legal observers within the country as well as internationally that there’s a great deal of concern about growing hostility to dissent within India,” the woman continues as per the clip.
“And it does seem that this hostility is somewhat reflected in His Lordship’s speech and it’s very well publicised,” she further says, apparently referring to the CJI’s recent remarks in India.
She could not complete the question. A man on the stage conducting the session declined to take it. “With all due respect, I’m so sorry, I would not be able to take up that question since the topic is concerning artificial intelligence and international law. So sorry. I’m extremely sorry, I’m extremely sorry. We’ll have to cut it off,” he said. The clip ends at this point.
In a separate clip, another attendee is heard protesting. “Give us some respect please!” the person says.
The clips were shared also by those from the Cockroach Janta Party, an online outfit that took its name from the CJI’s recent remarks and has held a massive on-ground protest recently over education-related issues
‘Cockroach’ remarks
Saurav Das, chief spokesperson of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), mentioned how the CJI was “heckled” and the question from the attendee was not answered. The CJP takes its name from remarks the CJI made at the Supreme Court on May 15, while hearing a petition filed by a lawyer seeking senior advocate designation in the Delhi High Court.
Justice Surya Kant had said: “There are already parasites of society who attack the system, and you want to join hands with them?” He further said, “There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment and don’t have any place in profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, some of them become RTI activists, some of them become other activists, and they start attacking everyone.” He also said he had “serious doubts” about the authenticity of law degrees held by some Delhi-based advocates.
The next day, the CJI issued a clarification, saying he was “pained” by media reports suggesting he had criticised the youth. He said he had been “misquoted by a section of the media” and that his remarks were aimed at those entering the legal profession using “fake and bogus degrees.”
By May 25, an advocate even mentioned a writ petition before a bench led by CJI Kant, seeking action over the CJP and other social media entities for allegedly misusing courtroom recordings.
The CJI declined an urgent hearing. “Don’t take it so sentimentally,” he told the advocate. “There is no such great emergency. We will consider it.”
Norway echoes
The London episode followed a comparable moment during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Norway in May, his first to the country and the first by an Indian prime minister in over four decades.
After a joint statement with Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store concluded in Oslo without a question-and-answer session, journalist Helle Lyng called out to Modi as he stepped away from the podium, “Prime Minister Modi, why don’t you take some questions from the freest press in the world?” Modi did not respond and walked away.
She later pressed the point at a Ministry of External Affairs briefing. Indian officials said the event was a pre-arranged joint media statement rather than an open press conference, at which leaders are not scheduled to take questions.
