NEW DELHI: The mother of a girl who was allegedly seen making abusive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar last month has expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister, saying his decision to forgive her daughter had given the teenager a “new life.”
Speaking to PTI, the mother thanked PM Modi for what she described as an act of forgiveness. She said the gesture was particularly meaningful as it coincided with her daughter’s birthday.
“I thank him with folded hands. Today is her birthday, and she has received the biggest gift from PM Modi — Jeevanadaan, or the gift of life. Today she has been given a new beginning,” she said.
The mother also apologised for her daughter’s conduct and appealed for the FIR registered against her to be withdrawn.
During the interaction, she urged the Prime Minister to impose restrictions on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram for children below the age of 20. According to her, many teenagers are vulnerable to outside influence through such platforms.
“I do not have words to express my feelings. It is not just my child; many children in this age group are facing similar situations. I request PM Modi to ban Instagram and Facebook for children between the ages of 10 and 20. At this stage, children should focus only on their studies,” she said.
She further stated that young children should not be allowed to participate in political protests, alleging that they could be influenced by others without fully understanding the consequences of their actions.
“Children are often taken advantage of and made to repeat whatever they are told. They do not yet understand society or the world around them. They also do not know how to respect elders or what is appropriate to say about public figures,” she said.
Her remarks came after a video surfaced on social media in which the girl apologised for the comments she allegedly made during the protest. The apology followed the registration of a zero FIR in connection with the incident.
In the video, the girl described the incident as her “first and last mistake” and said she had been influenced by people present at the protest venue to say things she may not have said on her own.
She stated that several groups at the site were allegedly raising abusive slogans against Prime Minister Modi and encouraging others to do the same.
“I was at the protest site where many groups were abusing PM Modi. They were also asking others to repeat those words. I feel deeply ashamed of what I said and cannot even raise my eyes. I apologise to the entire nation. This was my first and last mistake,” she said in the video.
While the zero FIR reportedly recorded her year of birth as 1994, the girl has claimed that she is 15 years old.
Earlier, in a video message released on Friday, Prime Minister Modi said he wished to forgive the children who had used abusive language against him and his late mother. He said that initiating legal proceedings or making them appear before courts would not improve the situation and would possibly ruin the lives and future of the kids.
“I want to forgive them, and I hope society will also accept them,” the Prime Minister said in the video message.