NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: Even as a large number of people are swarming to join the quirky outfit, Cockroach Janta Party, and even taking rallies in its support, a plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a probe into the allegations regarding fake advocates and activities associated with the party.
The CJP surfaced following a controversy over remarks by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on "cockroaches" and "parasites" during a court hearing on May 15 on a plea concerning senior designation for a lawyer.
The petition sought action against those involved in alleged commercial exploitation of oral observations made during court proceedings, and an investigation into alleged fake advocates who are practising law using fraudulent degrees.
Expressing concern over the misuse of judicial proceedings, the plea claimed that remarks and observations made during the court proceedings were being used for publicity campaigns.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra police said protection has been provided for the residence of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
“We have given round-the-clock general police protection to Abhijeet Dipke's residence to ensure there is no crowding at his place since the CJP issue is trending on social media right now," said Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Atulkar.
The satirical infestation has caught the fancy of the people, with its Instagram account rapidly raking up followers each passing day. As on Sunday night, it stands at 22.8 million. Even as the authorities are trying to clamp down on the account, related handles have started sprouting. There is one for the Tamil Nadu unit as well, which has 50,000 followers till now.
There were also rallies in several cities in the State, including Chennai and Madurai, though they were organised by CPM-linked DYFI and SFI.