PM Modi said he forgives children who abused him and his late mother during the Delhi student protests.
He urged society to guide misguided youth instead of punishing them or making them face court proceedings.
His remarks came as police in Delhi, Noida and Telangana continued action over allegedly abusive and objectionable social media content.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he wanted to forgive the children who had abused him during the recent student protests in Delhi, saying that taking punitive action against them would not help change the situation and that society should instead guide them towards the right path.
According to Indian Express, the Prime Minister made the remarks in a late-night video message as police action continued over derogatory social media posts targeting him. He also reiterated his faith in the country's youth, saying childhood is a time to learn from mistakes and urging young people to move forward with the nation.
He later posted on X, "Abuses never solve anything. Let’s guide the misguided. Let’s work together. Let’s work for Bharat."
In his address, Modi said, "Some shararati (mischievous) children gave vulgar abuses and used words that do not behove any civilised society. Not just me, my departed mother was also abused. One does not know the extent of this. But I want to say today that mistakes happen in childhood but it (childhood) also provides the opportunity for change. This is what childhood is about."
He said he could understand the "aakrosh" (outcry) in society. "It is a cultural shock. How can our daughters speak like this?"
However, he said it was time to embrace these children and show them the way forward instead of punishing them.
"These children are misguided and it is our job to show them the way. To punish them, make them take rounds of courts and harass them, will not let us change the circumstances," he said.
The Prime Minister said he wanted to forgive those who had abused him and his late mother, adding that society should also accept them. He said making the children "run around courts" would not change the circumstances. Indian Express reported that he urged people to focus on guiding them rather than punishing them.
Using an analogy of the teeth and the tongue, Modi said that sometimes the tongue comes between the teeth but one does not break the teeth. "The tongue and teeth are both ours, and similarly the children are also ours and to show them the right path is our job."
Appealing to the youth, he urged them to pursue their dreams while contributing to the country's progress.
"To show the right path to the misguided is our job. So I want to say to the children: Come, let us move forward together for the country. Let’s learn something new from our mistakes and let’s move forward towards our dreams. The country is moving forward and to ensure that you also move forward is my dream. I am working for all of you, and work tirelessly for your bright future. Let’s take the country forward together," he said.
"Come, let us make the nation progress, just learn from your mistakes, and move forward," he said.
According to Indian Express, the remarks came as police in Delhi and Noida continued action over abusive content circulating on social media. Following videos showing derogatory remarks directed at the Prime Minister, police in both cities registered FIRs over allegedly defamatory posts and online content.
In Telangana, police also registered two cases over alleged morphed and objectionable social media content targeting the Prime Minister. The cases named operators of Facebook and Instagram accounts, along with Meta India's head. A Meta spokesperson said, "We are in touch with the agencies concerned, and are cooperating with them to resolve the matter."
