MUMBAI, Aug 1 (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he wanted to forgive students who hurled expletives at him during protests last month, saying that punishing them and forcing them to appear repeatedly in court would not help resolve the situation.
The biggest political crisis of Modi’s third term peaked in July after the leak of national exam papers forced a retest for 2 million students, fuelling anger over the lack of opportunities for young Indians.
Authorities filed cases against hundreds of demonstrators after some clashed with security forces and shouted abusive slogans at the prime minister.
“These are misled children. Showing them the right path is our duty. Punishing them, making them run around courts, or tormenting them in society will not change the situation,” Modi said in a video posted on social media late on Friday.
“I want to forgive them. I hope society also accepts this stance of mine.”
Tensions erupted between protesters and security forces in several parts of the country during the demonstrations, including in New Delhi, where people attempting to march on parliament were met with tear gas and baton charges.
The self-named Cockroach Janta Party, which led the movement, said on Monday that “hundreds” of students had been arrested in various states, in violation of the government’s commitment to dropping police cases filed against protesters.
Indian youth protesters ended weeks of demonstrations after the education minister quit and the government accepted all demands, which included reforms in the exam system and dropping police cases.
The protests have also prompted the Modi government to introduce a bill in parliament to amend the legislation governing public examinations, proposing longer prison terms and higher fines for those involved in exam paper leaks.
(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Tom Hogue)
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