Published Jul 28, 2026 | 3:35 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 28, 2026 | 3:35 PM
Make-up artiste Jaanmoni Das tendered an unconditional apology, but it did not satisfy the BJP and its allied outfits.
Synopsis: A row has erupted in Kerala after transgender make-up artist and influencer Jaanmoni Das was slapped with a criminal case over her remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which she made during a media interaction on the Jantar Mantar protest. Despite her later public apology and admission that some of her claims were factually wrong, the BJP has insisted that the legal proceedings should continue.
A transgender make-up artist and social media influencer has landed in trouble after comments she had made about Prime Minister Narendra Modi during discussions surrounding the recent Jantar Mantar protest triggered a row in Kerala.
The controversy, which quickly spread across social media, has now resulted in a criminal case, with the BJP maintaining that her subsequent apology does not diminish the seriousness of the alleged offence.
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The Cyber Crime Police in Kozhikode have registered a case against make-up artist Jaanmoni Das for allegedly making defamatory remarks directed at Prime Minister Modi in a social media post and in media interactions related to the recent protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
The case was registered following a complaint lodged by BJP Mahila Morcha state president Navya Haridas before Kozhikode City Police Commissioner AP Shoukath Ali.
Police have invoked Sections 192 and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 120(o) of the Kerala Police Act.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Jaanmoni allegedly made statements through various social media platforms with the intention and knowledge of creating unrest in society, disturbing public peace and defaming the Prime Minister of India.
The complaint also alleged that the remarks insulted the Prime Minister and were capable of provoking social discord.
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The controversy stemmed from Jaanmoni’s comments while responding to questions about the protest at Jantar Mantar. A video clip of the interaction went viral on social media, drawing widespread criticism.
In the opening of the video, Jaanmoni mocked Modi in response to his appeal to citizens to consider themselves his “friends.” Referring to the Prime Minister, she asked, “This oldie calls us friends… who are his friends?” She then remarked that “one look at him is enough to know he consumes gutka.”
She also took a swipe at Modi’s humble beginnings, making sarcastic references to his background as a tea seller.
In the video, Jaanmoni referred to Modi’s parents and questioned the timeline of his birth, claiming that Modi’s father had died in 1947 while the Prime Minister was born in 1950.
She remarked that “he should first find his father” and suggested that his mother could not have remained pregnant for three years. The comments were widely criticised as insulting and factually incorrect.
The clip triggered sharp reactions online, with several Sangh Parivar organisations demanding legal action against her.
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Even before the FIR was registered, the Mahila Morcha had moved the police seeking criminal action against Jaanmoni.
Navya Haridas submitted a complaint to the Kozhikode City Police chief, alleging that the influencer had publicly insulted both the Prime Minister and his mother. She also announced that similar complaints would be filed at police stations across Kerala.
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As criticism mounted, Jaanmoni released an apology video on Instagram, saying she never intended to hurt anyone’s sentiments and regretted making the remarks.
She said the controversy erupted after she responded to media questions about content related to the Delhi protest. According to her, she struggled to express herself properly in Malayalam and never imagined that her words would trigger such a backlash.
Jaanmoni said she initially did not realise the video had become controversial until friends informed her. She then contacted people who had shared the clip and requested them to remove it.
She also claimed to have received threatening calls and messages not only from Kerala but from other parts of India as well as from countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after the video had gone viral.
The controversy has also exposed her to a wave of cyberbullying, with her social media accounts flooded by abusive messages and threats from users in India and abroad.
Rejecting allegations that she had deliberately targeted the Prime Minister’s mother, Jaanmoni said she had merely raised a question based on content she had watched online and had not intended to make any personal remarks about Modi or his family.
“If I have made a mistake, I sincerely apologise,” she said, urging people to forgive her considering her age. She also appealed to the public not to take the issue seriously, saying her comments were never meant to offend anyone.
Jaanmoni admitted that after checking the information on Google, she realised that what she had said was factually incorrect (regarding Modi’s father’s death). She acknowledged that she should have verified the facts before making such a statement and accepted responsibility for the mistake.
However, responding to Jaanmoni’s apology, BJP leaders said it was unacceptable to attribute the controversy to a language barrier. According to the party, the remarks amounted to a deliberate insult, and merely expressing regret after making such statements could not absolve responsibility.
The BJP leadership also indicated that it would pursue the matter before senior police authorities, insisting that legal proceedings should continue despite the apology.
Hailing from Guwahati, Assam, Jaanmoni is a much-sought-after makeup artiste in Kerala.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
