Modi forgives student protesters after Jantar Mantar incident
File photo: REUTERS
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for forgiveness and restraint on Friday after student protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar targeted him with derogatory slogans during demonstrations over alleged paper leaks.
The incident led to a police case against a 25-year-old woman, though Modi argued that “abuses never solve anything” and encouraged society to provide guidance rather than punishment to those who have lost their way.
Modi noted that the entire world witnessed the events at Jantar Mantar, saying “Some misguided youngsters used language that has no place in any civilised society. I was abused, and even my late mother was abused.”
The controversy follows a 23 July protest organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), where a demonstrator allegedly directed objectionable remarks at Modi.
Despite the nature of the insults, Modi rejected the idea of retaliation or anger, describing the protesters as young people with the potential to learn from their errors.
A video shared by Modi carried the caption, “Abuses never solve anything. Let’s guide the misguided. Let’s work together. Let’s work for Bharat.”
Within the video, he emphasized that mistakes made in youth offer an opportunity for correction, asserting that “There is anger in society, and I understand that. But now is the time to embrace these children and show them the right path. They are misguided children. It is our duty to show them the way. Punishing them, dragging them through courts and harassing them will not change the circumstances.”
Law enforcement initially registered a Zero FIR at the Expressway Police Station in Noida before transferring the investigation to the Parliament Street Police Station in Delhi. The legal action involves Sections 352, 353(1), and 356(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, covering defamation, statements that lead to public mischief, and provoking a breach of peace.
However, Modi signaled his intent to forgive those responsible and asked the public to join him in this stance. He reiterated his message, saying, “I want to forgive them. I request society also to accept what I am saying. Abuses never solve anything. Let us guide those who have lost their way. Let us work together. Let us work for Bharat.”
Responding to the legal proceedings, Saurav Das, a spokesperson for the CJP, acknowledged that the language used may have been derogatory but condemned the use of criminal law against the protesters.
Das added, “Of course, if there’s any language that was used which is derogatory in nature, then the person concerned is free to pursue civil defamation and criminal defamation against the person. However, the use of criminal machinery to go against protesters is highly condemnable and no one should be punished for any objectionable language per se.”
Source: NDTV (adapted)
