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A tense exchange unfolded during an event at a university in London where Chief Justice of India Surya Kant was delivering a lecture, after attendees attempted to raise questions related to dissent and free speech in India.

The CJI was speaking on the topic ‘Artificial Intelligence and International Law’ at Birkbeck College, University of London, during his six-day visit to the United Kingdom.

Videos from the interaction segment of the event later surfaced online and were reshared by Saurav Das, chief spokesperson of the online movement Cockroach Janta Party.

Question On Dissent Interrupted During Interaction

According to video clips shared on X, the exchange began when an attendee addressed the Chief Justice and referred to his remarks on democracy and artificial intelligence.

“His Lordship made some very important points, I think, about the Indian track record of protecting democracy in the context of AI,” the attendee said.

She then added, “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. And it does seem that this hostility is somewhat reflected in His Lordship's speech and it's very well publicised.”

Before the attendee could complete the question, one of the organisers on stage intervened and said, “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.”

Another clip from the event showed a participant shouting, “Give us some respect please!” during the interaction session.

‘Cockroach Janta Party’ Reference

The online movement Cockroach Janta Party derives its name from remarks made by the CJI last month while speaking about fake degree-holders and “unemployed youth becoming activists”, during which he used the words “cockroaches” and “parasites”.

Parallel Drawn With PM Modi’s Norway Visit

The episode drew comparisons with a separate exchange during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Norway in May.

After a joint statement in Oslo with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store concluded without a question-and-answer session, local journalist Helle Lyng called out to PM Modi, asking: “Prime Minister Modi, why don't you take some questions from the freest press in the world?”

Indian officials later clarified that the event was a pre-arranged joint media statement and not an open press conference.

What CJI Surya Kant Said On AI And International Law

During his lecture, Chief Justice Surya Kant spoke extensively on the growing role of artificial intelligence and the challenges it poses for international law and democratic systems.

“Technology itself is neither inherently benevolent nor inherently harmful. Its impact depends upon the legal, political, and ethical frameworks within which societies choose to deploy it,” he said, according to PTI.

“The responsibility of law, therefore, is neither to resist technological progress nor to surrender unquestioningly before it. Its responsibility is to ensure that technological power remains accountable to constitutional values, democratic legitimacy, and human dignity,” he added.

The CJI further said artificial intelligence represents one of the most significant tests for international law in its modern evolution.

“The central challenge before us is to ensure that, in an age of intelligent machines, humanity retains authorship of the principles by which it is governed,” he said.

He also stressed that accountability must remain central as technological systems become more integrated into governance and decision-making processes.