Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a video message on Friday night in which he said he is forgiving students who hurled abuses at him during the Cockroach Janta Party protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi last month.
The protests, ignited by an exam paper leak, snowballed into what is considered the biggest challenge to Modi’s rule to date, culminating with the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
What did Modi say about the Cockroach protesters?
Modi described the protesters as “misguided children” who deserve guidance rather than punishment or prolonged legal action.
In the video message, he said the language used by some protesters “would not suit any civilized society.”
“Some mischievous children used very filthy abuses… Abuses were directed at me, and abuses were directed at my late mother as well,” Modi said.
“These are misguided children, and showing them the way is our duty,” he said.
He added that punishing them or making them “run around courts” was not going to change the circumstances. “I want to forgive them, and society too should accept this.”
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“Children, come, let us move forward together for the country,” Modi went on to say. “Let us learn something new, let us learn even from mistakes… I live for you, I toil for your bright future, so come, let us together take the country forward.”
Girl reported for using abusive language against Modi
The video message by Modi came on the same day as police received a report regarding a viral video showing a woman allegedly using abusive language against the prime minister during the recent Jantar Mantar protest.
The girl in the video has apologised for her remarks, as reported by Indian newspaper Hindustan Times.
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In a video message, she said, “I came under the influence of some people at the protest and said a lot of bad things against the Prime Minister,” according to Indian media reports.
The police report identifies the girl as 25 years old. However, in the apology video, she said she is “just 15 years old.”
Meanwhile, the CJP has questioned the incident.
“Since when has using abusive language become a criminal offense in this country?” CJP spokesperson Saurav Das asked, claiming that 50% of the MPs face criminal charges, yet no action is taken against them.
He alleged that police reports in such cases are being filed to “single out” people and “make an example of them.”
Edited by: Rana Taha
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