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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he has chosen to forgive critics who directed insults at him during recent youth-led protests that posed one of the most significant political challenges to his government in recent years.
His comments followed weeks of protests organised by the online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which drew thousands of Indians to New Delhi and other cities over the leak of examination papers and broader concerns about governance and unemployment.
Videos widely shared on social media showed some Indians chanting abusive slogans against Modi.
According to local media, several of those featured in the footage later became targets of online harassment by the prime minister’s supporters, while police complaints were also filed against them.
Authorities have also requested that social media platforms, including Meta and X, remove content they described as abusive or digitally manipulated material targeted at the prime minister.
Reflecting on the protests in a video posted on Instagram late Friday, the 75-year-old leader said he bore no ill will toward those involved.
“The country and the world witnessed what happened at Jantar Mantar. Some mischievous youngsters hurled vile abuses,” Modi said.
“Words were used that do not belong to civilised society — directed not just at me, but even at my late mother… I want to forgive them.”
Modi argued that young people who make mistakes should be guided rather than punished.
The demonstrations began last month in response to allegations of examination paper leaks but quickly evolved into a wider protest movement over youth unemployment, public accountability and governance.
The unrest eventually led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
As the protests gathered momentum, Modi increasingly turned to Instagram to engage younger audiences, using the same platform that helped the CJP rapidly build its support base.
The prime minister’s ruling party has about 9.6 million followers on Instagram, while the CJP, which was launched only in May, has amassed more than 26 million followers on the platform.
