Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a video message on Instagram on Friday. He said he had chosen to forgive the young people who used abusive language against him at Jantar Mantar during the recent protests. The move comes as police cases continue to be filed against youth protesters over social media posts making purportedly objectionable remarks about him.
“The country and the world witnessed what happened at Jantar Mantar,” Modi said in the video. “Some mischievous children used abusive language that doesn’t dignify any civilised society. They not only abused me but even my late mother.”
‘I Want to Forgive Them’
Modi didn’t shy away from acknowledging how personally the remarks had affected him, while still choosing to extend forgiveness. “I want to forgive those who abused me. I request society to accept my decision,” he said.
He used a simple analogy to explain his thinking. “Sometimes we accidentally bite our tongue with our own teeth, and it bleeds. But we do not break our teeth, because both the teeth and the tongue are our own,” Modi said, adding, “These children are ours, too, and it is our responsibility to guide them.”
Guidance Over Punishment
Modi framed the young protesters’ actions as a mistake born of misjudgment rather than malice. “I understand the anger in our society,” he said. “There is a cultural shock about our daughters using such language. This is the time to show them the right path. They are misguided.”
He appealed directly for restraint from the public and the system alike. “They were misguided, and it is our responsibility to guide them. Punishing them, dragging them through courts, or subjecting them to social harassment will not change anything,” he said. He acknowledged that showing the right path to the misguided is a difficult task. However, he insisted it was one society had to take on regardless.
The Backdrop: Mounting Police Cases
Modi’s message lands against a fast-moving legal backdrop. The Cockroach Janta Party, which led the youth protests, called the “misuse of criminal machinery” against a protester identified as Singh unacceptable. “Harassment of the young must stop immediately,” a CJP spokesperson said Friday.
Separately, Hyderabad Police have registered cases against Meta’s India head and several Facebook and Instagram accounts over purportedly objectionable videos and photographs of Modi shared during the protests. That case came two days after Delhi Police registered an FIR against X for allegedly objectionable and defamatory posts about Modi on the platform.
According to reports, a case tied to the Singh matter was registered at the Special Cell’s Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations unit. It involved charges including criminal intimidation and public mischief.
Curated news reports, in-depth analysis, and special features by India’s Opinion editorial team.
