Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks about “forgiving” students, saying they did not need the Prime Minister’s forgiveness but that he owed them an apology. He alleged that the government had failed to understand the pain and struggles of students and their families affected by examination irregularities.“India’s students do not need his forgiveness. He owes them an apology,” Rahul said in a post on X.His remarks came after PM Modi, in a video posted on Instagram late on Friday night, said he had forgiven students who had abused him and his late mother. He added that it was society’s responsibility to “guide the misguided”.Referring to the hardships faced by aspirants following cancelled examinations and paper leaks, Rahul said behind every student’s suffering was a family forced to bear a lasting emotional burden.“Leaked papers. Cancelled exams. Years of preparation destroyed overnight. Our students are told to work honestly in a system that is not honest with them. And the PM has the audacity to speak of forgiving students,” he said.He added: “Nothing is more painful than seeing a parent grieve their child. Behind every young life lost is a family carrying pain that will never leave them, while raising serious questions about a broken education system.”Rahul further alleged that the PM had not met families mourning the loss of their children or students whose careers had been disrupted by paper leaks.“He has not met a single grieving parent. He has not sat with a single student whose future was stolen by a leaked paper,” he said.Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also targeted the PM, accusing him of “playing the victim card” and using political rhetoric to deflect accountability.Ramesh alleged that Modi frequently targets his predecessors and political opponents with “vile vitriol” and spreads misinformation about them in public speeches and in Parliament. He further accused the government of shielding individuals who use abusive language against critics both inside and outside the House.