Activist urges Modi to drop cases against student protesters

A political activist has challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to move beyond social media messages and formally drop legal cases against student protesters, following the Prime Minister’s public call for forgiveness. The exchange on August 1, 2026, centers on recent youth-led demonstrations over alleged competitive examination paper leaks.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke responded to a video posted by Prime Minister Modi on July 31, in which Modi said he forgave students who had used abusive language against him during protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. In his own video message, Dipke said he hoped the Prime Minister would post another video apologizing for police action against protesters during a major march on July 20. Dipke alleged that during that protest, police assaulted 12-year-old students, tore women's clothes, and beat female protesters.

The Prime Minister’s video, shared on Instagram, struck a conciliatory tone. He described the protesters as "misguided children" and "mischievous youngsters" who had used language unfit for a civilized society, including insults directed at him and his late mother. Modi stated that abuse never solves anything and...