New Delhi, May 16 -- Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant issued a stern clarification on Saturday regarding his recent "parasites" comment, expressing that he was deeply "pained" by media coverage implying he was criticizing the youth.

"I am pained to read how a section of the media has misquoted my oral observations made during the hearing of a frivolous case yesterday," the CJI said in a statement.

Kant firmly stressed that his observations were aimed strictly at individuals who infiltrate the legal system using "fake and bogus degrees," asserting that his words had been "misquoted by a section of the media."

The clarification comes in the wake of a controversy that erupted during a Friday court session, where the CJI utilized te...