The mother of a Noida teenager thanked Prime Minister Modi for forgiving her daughter’s protest remarks.
NEW DELHI: The mother of the Noida teenager booked for allegedly using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar has thanked the PM for forgiving her daughter, saying his gesture had given the girl a “jeevandaan” (new lease of life).Speaking to news agency PTI after PM Modi appealed against punitive action against the youngsters involved, the girl’s mother said she was grateful that he had chosen forgiveness despite the abusive remarks directed at him.“PM Modi is the raja of this nation. We are nothing in front of him. He has done such a noble thing by forgiving the girl who abused him so badly. I thank him with folded hands. Today is my daughter’s birthday, and the biggest gift she has received is from PM Modi. He has given her jeevandaan. My daughter has got a new life today,” she said.In an emotional appeal, the mother requested the Prime Minister to “adopt” her daughter and help secure her future. “Modi ji, please adopt this girl and make her future bright. We are ashamed and apologise again and again,” she said.She also appealed for the withdrawal of the FIR lodged against her daughter, claiming it incorrectly mentions the girl’s age. “Please withdraw the FIR. It has the wrong age. Now the girl is under your watch, PM,” she said, reiterating that her daughter is a 15-year-old minor.Claiming she does not use Instagram, the mother said her family had been subjected to online abuse after the video went viral.“People said parents like us should die. I don’t have words to say,” she said, adding that children between the ages of 10 and 20 are easily influenced and often exploited.Urging the government to tighten safeguards for minors, she appealed to PM Modi to ban Instagram and Facebook for children and prevent those under 18 from participating in protests. “Children should only study. They don’t know anything and are taken advantage of. They have no idea about culture and society and have no respect for elders,” she said.The controversy erupted after a video showing the teenager making abusive remarks against the Prime Minister during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest at Jantar Mantar went viral. A Zero FIR was registered in Noida and later transferred to the Parliament Street police station in Delhi as the alleged incident took place in the national capital.The girl later released a video apologising for her remarks, saying she had been influenced by people at the protest and describing it as her “first and last mistake”.
