India’s Modi says he forgives students who abused him in Cockroach protests

What the report says

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he forgives students who shouted abuse at him during last month’s protests tied to exam-paper leaks, arguing that they are “misled” young people who should be guided rather than punished. The comments were posted in a video on social media late Friday, as the dispute over the protests continued to reverberate in India.

The demonstrations, led by the self-styled Cockroach Janta Party, began after a key exam was voided when question papers were leaked, forcing more than two million students to retake it. What started as an online campaign for education reform grew into large street protests in New Delhi and other cities, and later became one of the major political challenges of Modi’s third term.

According to Al Jazeera, the protests ended after the government accepted the demonstrators’ main demands, including the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a pledge not to pursue criminal cases against protesters. Even so, authorities in BJP-ruled states have filed cases against some demonstrators, while supporters of Modi’s party have reportedly doxed female protesters and posted threats online.

The episode has widened debate over student anger, police responses and the government’s handling of online content. Al Jazeera also reported that the unrest prompted a proposed law to tighten penalties for exam leaks, and that police in Hyderabad registered a case involving videos seen as abusive toward Modi on Facebook.