'Want To Forgive Them': PM Modi On Students Who Abused Him at Jantar Mantar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday appealed for restraint and forgiveness after abusive slogans directed at him during student protests over alleged paper leaks at Delhi's Jantar Mantar led to a police case against a 25-year-old woman, saying that "abuses never solve anything" and urging society to guide, rather than punish, those who had gone astray.

"What happened at Jantar Mantar has been seen by the country and the world," he said. "Some misguided youngsters used language that has no place in any civilised society. I was abused, and even my late mother was abused."

The remarks came days after expletives used against the Prime Minister during protests against alleged paper leaks triggered legal action against one of the demonstrators.

According to the complaint, a 25-year-old woman allegedly made objectionable remarks during the Cockroach Janta Party-led protest at Jantar Mantar on July 23.

Despite the remarks, PM Modi said he did not believe the answer lay in anger or retaliation. Instead, he described the protesters as young people capable of learning from their mistakes.

"Abuses never solve anything. Let's guide the misguided. Let's work together. Let's work for Bharat," the Prime Minister's video was captioned.

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"Mistakes are made in childhood, and childhood also provides an opportunity to correct those mistakes. That is what being young is about," he said in the video. "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."

The Prime Minister said he wanted to forgive those responsible and appealed to society to do the same.

"I want to forgive them. I request society also to accept what I am saying," he said. "Abuses never solve anything. Let us guide those who have lost their way. Let us work together. Let us work for Bharat."

A Zero FIR was registered at the Expressway Police Station in Noida under Sections 352, 353(1) and 356(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, dealing with provoking a breach of peace, statements conducing to public mischief and defamation. As a Zero FIR, it was filed outside the jurisdiction where the alleged offence took place before being transferred to the Parliament Street Police Station in Delhi for further investigation.

Reacting to the case, Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson Saurav Das said the language used may have been objectionable, but argued that criminal law should not be invoked against protesters over their words.

"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," Das said. "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."