Mother of girl who abused PM Modi thanks him for ‘jeevandaan’, urges him to get FIR dropped
New Delhi: The mother of the minor girl accused of abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi has thanked him for forgiving her daughter and appealed to him to help get the FIR against the teenager withdrawn.
Her appeal came a day after the girl apologised to the prime minister with folded hands in a video that went viral on social media.
In an emotional interview with news agency PTI, the mother said Modi’s decision to forgive her daughter had given the teenager “a new life”.
“PM Modi has shown greatness by forgiving a daughter of the country who had used such dirty words. I thank him with folded hands. Today is her new birth. The prime minister has given her the biggest gift of jeevandaan (a new life),” she said.
Mother seeks withdrawal of FIR
Noida Police registered a Zero FIR last week after receiving a complaint over the remarks against the prime minister. The FIR named the accused as 25-year-old Ruchika Singh.
However, the girl’s mother said the name and age recorded in the FIR were incorrect. She appealed to Modi to help withdraw the case so that her daughter could live peacefully.
“How can we say we are ashamed? We are aware of our mistake. I request Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, please remove the FIR filed against her under the wrong name and age, so she could live in peace. Now she is under your supervision,” the mother said.
Seeks social media restrictions
The mother also urged the prime minister to ban social media use among children below the age of 18. She said minors were vulnerable and could become easy targets for people seeking to influence them.
“My humble request to PM Modi is that Instagram and Facebook should be stopped for children under 18. They should be allowed to study only. They should not be allowed to protest sites. These children can be easily taken advantage of. Small children don’t know anything about the world or respecting elders,” she added.
PM Modi appeals for restraint
PM Modi had on Friday called for restraint and forgiveness over the abusive slogans directed at him during student protests.
“They are misguided children. It is our duty to show them the way. Punishing them and dragging them through courts and harassing them will not change the circumstances. I want to forgive them. I request society also to accept what I am saying,” he said in an Instagram video.
The girl later apologised and claimed that she had used “bad words” under the influence of others at the protest.
“I am only 15 years old. Whatever I did was not worthy of forgiveness. I have said a lot of bad things. This is my first and last mistake. I apologise to the entire country. I am so ashamed. I can’t even look at myself. Please forgive me,” she said.