NEW DELHI: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks about “forgiving” the country’s youth.He said the Prime Minister should instead apologise over a range of issues, including alleged exam paper leaks, the treatment of student protesters, demonetisation and the functioning of the Ram Mandir Trust.In a post on X, Ramesh said, “The self-declared non-biological PM enjoys playing the victim card.” He further alleged that the Prime Minister “uses vile vitriol against his predecessors and political opponents” and “very frequently peddles lies to defame them, not just in his public speeches but in Parliament itself.”“He uses vile vitriol against his predecessors and political opponents. He very frequently peddles lies to defame them, not just in his public speeches but in Parliament itself. He unleashes an army of foul-mouthed abusers both in Parliament and outside and gives them full protection,” Ramesh said. Referring to the National Testing Agency (NTA) and student protests, Ramesh said, “the entire nation is wanting the PM to apologise for the trauma inflicted on lakhs of youth through his paper leak-ridden NTA and his Home Ministry-sanctioned brutality on student protestors.” He also said the Prime Minister owed an apology over the “Chanda Chori Astha Dhoka by the Ram Mandir Trust” and for the “Tughlakian notebandi of Nov 8 2016 that destroyed crores of livelihoods and shuttered lakhs if MSMEs.”Ramesh added, “but late last night, in act of supreme self-obsession, the PM said that he forgave our youth.” He alleged that the remark was “an insult to the nation and to our youth”, adding that young people had suffered under the government’s policies and were instead seeking an apology from the Prime Minister.
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“The Prime Minister’s InstaGram Sabhas are fooling no one,” Ramesh added.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday shared a video late at night that carried a message against abusive language and hate, saying “abuses never solve anything,” amid a controversy over alleged derogatory remarks made against him by a woman from Noida during a protest in Delhi.“Abuses never solve anything. Let’s guide the misguided. Let’s work together. Let’s work for Bharat,” PM Modi wrote, sharing the video on X.In the video, PM Modi also highlighted the government’s efforts to strengthen the country’s examination system, citing Parliament’s passage of a stringent anti-paper leak law.“Friends, we are continuously taking one step after another to build a trustworthy examination system. Whether it is creating fast-track mechanisms or incorporating suggestions from the states, we are working in that direction.”The Prime Minister said paper leaks had affected governments across the country for decades and jeopardised the future of students.PM Modi reiterated that the government would act firmly against those involved in paper leak rackets.
