'Gaslighting', 'Patriarchy', 'No Mention of Real Victims': Internet Unimpressed With Modi’s Latest 'Forgiving' Act
New Delhi: At 11.06 pm on July 31, 11 days after security forces unleashed merciless lathicharge, fired pellet guns and tear gas at protesting youth in Jantar Mantar, prime minister Narendra Modi acknowledged the event for the first time. The protest was against his dispensation and has led to the resignation of this education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, yet if you thought that Modi had come ready with a midnight apology, you would be mistaken. Modi said that he was “shocked” at female protesters using expletives and said he wished to forgive such “misled children”.
In the year of 2026, a prime minister expressing selective shock at women's use of expletives – in a protest where men were unsparing in their language too – has not gone down particularly well.
"Adult women don’t need your moral policing," @MsAnjaliRB, a commentator on X pointed out. "They aren’t your daughters. Men abused you too, yet your boring asf lecture was reserved for women. Whenever women step outside your patriarchal, nationalist idea of how they should behave, you label it a “cultural crisis.”"
Cartoonist Sanitary Panels put it straight and noted that girls and women do not owe the prime minister civility:
"Clutching pearls and pretending you’re a victim while kids have DIED BY SUICIDE because of your fuck ups and then YOUR POLICE USED PELLET GUNS AND AK47s AND LATHIS ON PROTESTERS."
Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia asked exactly what the prime minister forgave protesters for:
The Prime Minister made a reel saying he “forgives” the students for their actions and mistakes.
Forgives them for what? For asking for their rights? For demanding fairness?
A true leader would apologize to the students for allowing the police to beat them-not expect an apology from them.
That is leadership. That is democracy.
Modi's decision to forgive comes as his legions of supporters have unleashed a phenomenal doxxing and harassment drive against women and minor girl protesters who criticised Modi. A day ago, the Noida police filed a case against a young woman for using “abusive language against Narendra Modi”. Pro-government mainstream media has also launched into a process of demonising her. The minor has uploaded a video saying that she is 15 years old and is sorry for the language she used.
"The whole nation should HANG ITS HEAD IN SHAME for TERRORISING a 15 year old MINOR child to issue an apology over camera to WHOLE NATION for something that GROWN-UP adults do DAILY in this country WITH IMPUNITY," X commentator @keshavbedi said.
AISA, which led the protests at Jantar Mantar alongside the Cockroach Janata Party, also echoed this sentiment.
A government that lectures the country about compassion for children should explain why a 15-year-old had to upload an apology after days of being publicly targeted by your IT cell.
Compassion isn't a PR reel, @narendramodi. It's what you do when the cameras are off. https://t.co/S5LOy2NiXy
— AISA (@aisa_official_) July 31, 2026
In a statement, the party said:
"The real cultural shock for this country has been the indiscriminate and vehement usage of batons, pellets and even bullets against unarmed people protesting for their rights! It has been the shameful normalcy of trolling and doxxing dissenters and giving rape threats to women and gender minorities. All this done by the IT cell run with utmost precision by Amit Malviya.
"We hope the Prime Minister releases a video addressing this, saying, "I am taking accountability, and I am removing Home Minister Amit Shah."
The News Minute founder Dhanya Rajendran noted how CNNNews18 took down its video on the girl after Modi's missive, observing how the channel felt no compunction before unleashing vitriol over a person exercising their right.
Looks like @CNNnews18 took down their tweet after PM’s video. They didn’t feel any shame doing this story. Same channels won’t spare a resource to cover a flood but will put a reporter on this job pic.twitter.com/uT0TL5bPPR
— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) July 31, 2026
Alt News founder, fact-checker Mohammad Zubair was quick to point out that Modi and his party set the gold standard for abuse either way.
Zubair's comment saying, "Sir, If you really want set an example, then please start unfollowing the abusers you've been following since 2014," is one of the most 'liked' of all reactions under Modi's original post.
He was echoed by user @iArpitSpeaks, who said, "Kisi bhi sabhya samaaj mein gaali shobha nahi deti- toh ye baat apne IT cell ko samjhado ek reel banakar (Abuses do not credit any civilised society – so explain this to your IT cell in a reel)."
Others pointed out that Modi is no stranger to himself using abusive language.
Le my “Friend” in his prime pic.twitter.com/LgSZdpeJ6k
— Tiri Bhinnat (@TBhinnat) July 31, 2026
Several commenters posted a parody video which showed the language used by BJP leaders in public fora.
Please watch this video 🙏 pic.twitter.com/TKXN1lyq9F
— Gabbar (@Gabbar0099) July 31, 2026
X user @meherness pointed to the acute double standards and said: "Indian RW in a nutshell: teri maa ka b*****, tune modiji ko gaali kaise diya saali r****"
Some called the targeted protester brave "unlike Narendra Modi."
One @NamraPatel__ put it simply: "Kids don't lie sir" and posted a video of the brutality of the police on July 20.
Kids don't lie sir.
The brutality of Delhi Police on protesting students especially children cannot be normalized. pic.twitter.com/Exh6Y0ZalP
— Namra Patel 🇮🇳 (@NamraPatel__) July 31, 2026
Comedians and writers Vir Das and Varun Grover also pitched in.
"Have a look at the comments section or dms of any girl in India. Then maybe we can lecture them about their own language," Das said.
Grover referred to Justice Joymalya Bagchi's line at the Supreme Court to say: "If exceptional conditions can justify pellet guns, why don’t they justify some cuss words?"
Another user, @ashish_nujs, pointed out:
"Amit Shah can use cuss words on floor of Parliament, Chief Justice of India can call people cockroaches and parasites from the bench. Police can abuse student protesters on camera with impunity. But kids swearing on the streets suddenly becomes Bharat sanskriti and sanskar issue"
Meanwhile, one of the Gen Z protesters who has been targeted by the BJP IT Cell has made a characteristically irreverent video berating the abusers for having a weak caption game and more.
This article went live on August first, two thousand twenty six, at fifty-one minutes past eleven in the morning.BJP tried slandering this genZ girl by calling her ‘Babar ki Virasat’. Look how she came up with an extraordinary ppt presentation.
You just can’t beat GenZs..
Vastaguna huyiyaa!! pic.twitter.com/oqzasbTLmu— Cockroach Janta Party - CJP (@Cockroachisback) July 31, 2026
The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
