A police case has been filed against a 25-year-old woman for allegedly directing abusive language at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during recent student protests over question paper leaks at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

The legal action has sparked fresh tensions among students, prompting Modi to release a late-night video message on Facebook on Friday (July 31) addressing the abuse and calling for restraint and forgiveness.

"What happened at Jantar Mantar has been witnessed by the country and the world," Modi said in the video, alleging that some misguided youths used language that has no place in a civilized society. "I have been abused, and even my late mother was abused."

The Prime Minister's remarks follow police action taken days after the protester allegedly used offensive language against him during demonstrations led by the "Cockroach Janata Party" on July 23.

Despite the remarks, Modi stated that he does not believe the solution lies in anger or revenge, describing the protesters instead as young individuals capable of learning from their mistakes.

The video's caption read:

"Mistakes happen in youth, and youth is the time that provides the opportunity to correct those mistakes," Modi said in the video. "Youth means exactly that. There is anger in society, and I understand that. But now is the time to embrace these children and show them the right path. They are misguided children. It is our duty to guide them. Punishing them, dragging them to court, and harassing them will not change the situation."

Modi expressed his desire to forgive those responsible for the remarks and urged society to forgive them as well. According to NDTV, a zero FIR has been registered at the Noida Expressway police station over the abuse directed at the Prime Minister.

The case was filed under sections 352, 353(1), and 356(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita, which cover provocation intended to breach the peace, statements likely to cause public confusion or disruption, and defamation.

Because it was filed as a zero FIR, the initial case was accepted even though the alleged offense occurred outside the local police station's jurisdiction, and it has since been transferred to Delhi's Parliament Street police station for further investigation.

Sourabh Das, spokesperson for the Cockroach Janata Party, commented that while the language used could be questioned if it was offensive, criminal law should not be applied to the protesters' statements.