The Congress and the Samajwadi Party on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he said in a late-night Instagram video that he had “forgiven” the country’s youth for the abuse hurled at him during protests, with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi asking the PM to apologise to the country’s students for giving them a “corrupt” exam system and that they didn’t need his “forgiveness”.
In an Instagram video released late on Friday, the PM said that he could understand the anguish prevailing in society, but stressed that this was the time to guide the youngsters. “I want to forgive them. People make mistakes, but this is a cultural shock that our daughters are using such abusive language. The statement came amid the controversy over some of the protesters allegedly using abusive language against Modi. “Not only was I subjected to abusive language at Jantar Mantar, but even my late mother was abused there,” he said.
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Slamming the video in a post on X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said: “Nothing is more painful than seeing a parent grieve their child… Behind every young life lost is a family carrying pain that will never leave them – and serious questions about a broken education system.”
The remarks came shortly after Gandhi met the families of those who lost their children during his day-long visit to Tamil Nadu.
“Leaked papers. Cancelled exams. Years of preparation destroyed overnight. Our students are told to work honestly in a system that is not honest with them… And the Prime Minister has the audacity to speak of ‘forgiving’ students,” the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha added.
Gandhi said he (Modi) has not met a single grieving parent. “He has not sat with a single student whose future was stolen by a leaked paper. “India’s students do not need his forgiveness. They all owed his apology,” he said.
Senior Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram asked: “Has the Honourable Prime Minister also forgiven the BJP trolls who react on X with abusive and filthy comments to posts critical of the government?”
Congress leader Pawan Khera said, “The country was demanding an apology, but the PM ended up forgiving the country instead.”
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “The public will never forgive the BJP. Even if the BJP offers a prostrated apology (dandavat maafi), the public will still not forgive them. The BJP did not keep the promise it made to the public. The BJP’s arrogance alone will bring down their government.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, too, said: “Modi and (Union home minister Amit) Shah should apologise to students and their families because of the way students were bashed up with sticks fitted with nails, pellet guns and tear gassed… some male police tore clothes of women protesters.”
The government has pushed back against the charge that it is avoiding accountability, pointing instead to the passage of the Public Examinations Amendment Bill and the formation of a task force on examination reforms.
The central government has maintained that it was “completely ready for a healthy, facts-based debate in Parliament,” and noted that Akhilesh Yadav and several Congress MPs had themselves said the issue should be discussed in the House, adding that it was “due to the ego of one individual”.
BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, “On one hand, there is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sensitivity, and on the other, the arrogance of these feudal champions is clearly visible. Their conduct reflects frustration and despair.”
Girl apologises for remarks against PM
A girl who purportedly appeared in a viral clip abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued an apology video on social media on Saturday, saying she had been “influenced” and that this was her “first and last mistake”.
The girl, who said she is 15, said the viral video was not posted by her and she was “extremely embarrassed and ashamed.” HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the apology video. The apology video came after a Zero FIR was lodged against her in Noida.
