NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday shared a fresh video of 15-year-old Noida teen and alleged that she had been subjected to prolonged harassment after the controversy over her remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, contrasting her latest defiant message with her earlier public apology.Sharing a video in which the teen speaks about the controversy, Kejriwal said the teenager had shown courage and urged people to support her.An earlier video of the 15-year-old showed her apologising publicly over her remarks.“This is my first and last mistake. I will not do anything like this again. I have never forced anything. I apologize to the whole country.”In the fresh video shared by Kejriwal, she says, she is no longer afraid.“Modi ji, you have harassed me so much that now I have nothing to lose. And now I am not afraid of you.”Kejriwal said the teenager had displayed “a lot of bravery” and accused the authorities of targeting a minor.“This girl has shown a lot of bravery. All of us should support her. You are after a 15-year-old girl. You have tortured her so much.”
Ruchika row triggers political exchange
The video comes amid a wider political dispute over the treatment of the teenager following the Cockroach Janta Party protest and the subsequent controversy over her remarks against Modi.Delhi Leader of Opposition Atishi had also criticised the BJP over the matter, questioning why police appeared to act swiftly against people making remarks about the prime minister while crimes against women continued to be reported.“The police have so much time that if someone abuses Modi ji in a video, they will find them even in hell. But girls are being raped and gang-raped,” Atishi had said.Her remarks came amid the political fallout over the alleged gangrape of a 16-year-old girl inside a moving sleeper bus in Delhi.Atishi had also questioned the responsibility of the governments and police administrations in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.“The Uttar Pradesh government is of the BJP. The Delhi government is of the BJP. The Uttar Pradesh Police is of the BJP. The Delhi Police is of the BJP. The LG is from the BJP. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is BJP-ruled. The Prime Minister is from the BJP,” Atishi said.“Is there any institution left that is not with the BJP? Then what is stopping them from taking action against rapists?” she asked.Atishi said the failure to act against offenders had raised serious questions over women’s safety.“Today, those committing rape have no fear of the police because they know the police will not catch them,” she said.The political exchange comes as opposition parties continue to target the BJP over both the handling of the Ruchika controversy and broader concerns surrounding women’s safety.(With agency inputs)
