More than 450 students of NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad have opposed the proposed invitation to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as chief guest for the university’s 2026 convocation, citing his reported handling of recent proceedings concerning alleged police action against protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Students from the graduating batch have submitted a representation to the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, faculty members and other university authorities, asking them to reconsider the proposal. The university has not yet formally finalised either the convocation date or the chief guest, according to the report.
The students referred to a Supreme Court hearing concerning allegations of police excesses during the July 20 Parliament march from Jantar Mantar. According to their representation, during the July 23 hearing, the CJI reportedly declined to watch video evidence that was said to show police action against protesters, saying the court did not have time to watch the videos. The students also alleged that the petitioner’s counsel was not allowed to complete his submissions. The representation also referred to another petition seeking an inquiry into the alleged police action, in which reports of injuries to more than 70 protesters, including women and children, were cited.
The students said their objection was not directed at the office of the Chief Justice of India but concerned what they viewed as the incompatibility between recent reported conduct and the values associated with their graduation ceremony. They argued that receiving their degrees from a dignitary whose reported conduct appeared dismissive of allegations of police brutality would not be consistent with the principles of constitutional rights, access to justice and reasoned engagement taught at the law university. “Inviting him to our college to hand us degrees that hold so much academic and emotional importance does not sit right with us,” the students said in their representation.
The representation also cited controversy surrounding remarks attributed to Justice Surya Kant in which references to “cockroaches” had sparked criticism and were interpreted by some as being directed at Indian youth. Justice Surya Kant subsequently clarified that the remarks had been misconstrued and that he was referring to people allegedly using fake or bogus degrees to enter professions such as law and journalism, rather than unemployed young people generally. The controversy later contributed to the emergence of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party, which subsequently became associated with youth protests over issues including examination irregularities, unemployment and governance.
The signatories have urged NALSAR authorities to consult the graduating batch before formally deciding on the chief guest. They have also expressed willingness to discuss their concerns with the university administration through meetings or other appropriate channels and sought an early response from the authorities. NALSAR had not issued an official response to the students’ representation at the time of the report.
The development comes after the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai postponed its 86th convocation, which had been scheduled for August 2. CJI Surya Kant was expected to attend as the chief guest. TISS officially attributed the postponement to “unforeseen circumstances” and did not link it to the CJI’s proposed attendance or possible protests. However, there had been concerns over security and the possibility of demonstrations disrupting the ceremony, according to the report.