The mother of the 15-year-old girl against whom an FIR was registered for making abusive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a viral video has said she is grateful to the PM “for choosing to forgive” her daughter, adding that it has given the teen “a new life.”
The remarks came a day after PM Modi, in a video message, said he forgave children for hurling abuse at him during the recent anti-paper leak protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). For the mother of the teenage girl who faced an FIR over the incident, the Prime Minister’s statement has offered her daughter a second chance.
“PM Modi has shown his greatness by forgiving the child who used such filthy and obscene words. Today is her birthday, and PM Modi has given her the greatest gift: jeevandaan (the gift of life). Today, this girl has been reborn,” she told news agency PTI.
The PM Modi video
PM Modi posted a video on Instagram on Friday, saying he forgives kids for hurling abuse at him during the protest, adding that he did not believe the answer lay in “anger or retaliation” against kids he called “misguided”.
“Sometimes our tongue comes under our teeth and blood comes out, but we do not break our teeth—because the teeth are ours, and the tongue is ours too. The children are also ours,” he said.
Calling on the students to move on from the episode, Modi invited them to contribute to nation-building.
“Children, come, let us move forward together for the country. Let us learn something new, let us learn even from mistakes… I live for you, I toil for your bright future, so come, let us together take the country forward,” he added.
The girl’s apology
In her own video, the teen girl said she had gone to the protest with friends after visiting Connaught Place and was influenced by people around her who were raising abusive slogans against PM Narendra Modi.
Calling it her “first and last mistake,” she added, “I apologise to the entire country. I am so ashamed. I can’t even look at myself. Please forgive me.”
Despite the apology, a complaint had already been filed against the girl at a Noida police station for allegedly using derogatory slogans during the July 23 protest. Noida Police registered a Zero FIR, which was later transferred to Parliament Street Police Station in New Delhi.
The complainant alleged that the girl’s remarks insulted the dignity of the office of the prime minister and had the potential to spread disharmony and disturb public peace.
Her mother said both she and her daughter had repeatedly apologised and appealed for the FIR to be withdrawn. She also claimed that the FIR incorrectly listed her daughter’s age as 25, even though her daughter is a 15-year-old minor.
Meanwhile, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke lost no time in targeting the Prime Minister over the police action against the teen.
“Sirf reel par hi maaf karoge ya cases bhi vapas loge (Will you forgive them only in a reel, or will you also withdraw the cases)?” Dipke commented on PM Modi’s Instagram video.
