Retired Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul has addressed the viral photograph featuring him alongside Cockroach Janata Party co-convener and spokesperson Saurav Das, firmly denying any mentoring relationship. He explained that his interactions with Das occurred during the latter's journalism days and were very limited in number. However, Justice Kaul acknowledged that he had advised Das to exercise more moderation in his choice of language during their conversations.
Details of the private Diwali gathering
In an interview, Justice Kaul clarified that the photograph in question was captured roughly a year ago during a private function around Diwali. According to him, the image is being used to manufacture a specific narrative regarding his ideology and ties with Das. Kaul recalled that Das had invited him to an event for the festive occasion when he was still a journalist and they had met on a couple of prior occasions. Kaul stated that he initially planned to head somewhere else that day, but agreed to drop by briefly at Das's insistence, telling his wife they would only stay for ten minutes to have tea before leaving.
Conversations on language and generational gaps
The former judge noted that the meeting is currently being framed to suggest a special ideological closeness, even though Das was not even making news at the time. When asked whether he ever mentored Saurav Das, Justice Kaul rejected the notion entirely. He did, however, mention that he advised Das to pay closer attention to his phrasing when they met. Kaul noted that he told Das to keep his language a bit more restrained.
Justice Kaul further remarked that communication styles vary significantly across generations. He observed that his generation relied on relatively polite phrasing during discussions, whereas Gen-Z language can often differ quite a bit. Kaul added that certain expressions might offend older individuals, making linguistic restraint important. When questioned about whether CJP youth leaders should alter their aggressive approach, he declined to offer direct counsel. He joked that he preferred not to give any advice because it might turn into headlines the next day about him coaching CJP politicians.
Saurav Das responds to the remarks
Following Justice Kaul's statements, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das shared his own perspective on social media. In a post on X, he stated that the snapshot belonged to a private gathering where Justice Kaul was functioning as a private citizen rather than a sitting Supreme Court judge. According to Das, there was never any mentor-disciple dynamic between the two.
Saurav Das also mentioned that throughout his journalism career and beyond, he has interacted with numerous lawyers, judges, and former judges. He described Justice Kaul's remark regarding language moderation as part of a routine conversation, noting that multiple supporters of his work have offered similar guidance in the past. Nevertheless, Das emphasized that the ongoing discourse surrounding the photograph is an attempt to distract attention from pressing issues. Das claimed that the focus should not be on who appears in a picture with whom, pointing out that Justice Kaul has raised serious matters concerning the judiciary that should not be ignored.
