His Remarks Follow Modi's Appeal to "Forgive" Young Protesters Who Used Abusive Words Against Him and His Late Mother

Senior BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri claimed Sunday that "puncture banane wale aur tala banane wale" — those who fix tyre punctures and locksmiths — outnumbered students at the recent Jantar Mantar protest against the NEET paper leak. Speaking at a "Gen Z Summit" in Tughlaqabad, South Delhi, Bidhuri criticised the abusive language used at the protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His remarks follow Modi's appeal to "forgive" young protesters who used abusive words against him and his late mother.

"Can the sons and daughters of India talk like this about Modi ji and his family? They must be the children of puncture repairers who were using such words against Modi ji, Bidhuri said. The former two-time South Delhi MP also targeted Opposition leaders, alleging the youth were misled to gather at Jantar Mantar for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest demanding the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak.

"Puncture banane wale, tala banane wale were there in larger numbers. Students were fewer in number, he said. In a late-night video message on August 1, Modi expressed "cultural shock" over the language used by young women protesters and said it pained him that his late mother was subjected to "filthy abuses" at Jantar Mantar.

He called for forgiving the "misguided children, saying the youth should be guided rather than punished. Separately, Modi launched the 'Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan' on Sunday, urging youth to stay away from substance abuse to achieve a developed India. He said the campaign is not just for the youth but also for their families, society, and the entire country. The virtual launch came days after large-scale student protests demanding reforms in the public examination system rocked Delhi and other parts of the country."