India
oi-Prakash KL
Ruchika Singh, a minor accused of using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP)-led protest at Jantar Mantar, has issued an apology in a video which has now gone viral.
It comes hours after Prime Minister Modi announced that he has forgiven the youths who abused him and his mother during the recent protests.
Minor Ruchika Singh apologized in a viral video for using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a CJP-led protest at Jantar Mantar, stating she was influenced by others and expressing regret after Modi announced forgiveness.
In the clip, Ruchika Singh is seen apologizing with folded hands as she claimed that she was “influenced” by protesters into making the remarks.
She said, “I went to visit CP with my friend. There was a protest going on, and many groups had gathered there. People were saying all sorts of things, including filthy abuses against the Prime Minister. I got influenced because they told me to say something too. I was impressed and ended up saying a lot of things. I’m only 15 years old.”
The 15-year-old girl said, “What I did is unforgivable. I said something very vulgar. But this is my first and last mistake. I will never do something like that again. I never posted that video. I want to say sorry to the entire nation. I can’t even look up. Please forgive me. Please.”
During the 36-day protest spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of the then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over NEET paper leak, many youths had apparently hurled abuses at PM Modi.
This specific incident came to light after Ghaziabad lawyer Smriti Singh filed a complaint against Ruchika Singh who resides in a flat in Faridabad.
A case was filed under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), 353(1) (public mischief) and 356(1) (defamation) in Noida before transferring the matter to Delhi’s Special Cell on Friday.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi came out with another video addressing youths on Friday night.
“What happened at Jantar Mantar… children from across the country used extremely abusive language. They abused me, and they even abused my late mother. It was deeply disturbing,” he said.
The PM indicated that he was not in favour of legal actions against minors. “Children make mistakes, and childhood is also the time when they should be given a chance to correct those mistakes,” the Prime Minister said, appealing to society to accept his decision to forgive them.
“I want to forgive those who abused me. I request society to accept my decision..sometimes we accidentally bite our tongue with our own teeth, and it bleeds. But we do not break our teeth, because both the teeth and the tongue are our own.”
He urged the public to embrace them rather than punishing them. “They were misguided, and it is our responsibility to guide them. Punishing them, dragging them through courts, or subjecting them to social harassment will not change anything,” the PM claimed.
The Prime Minister appealed to the youths to learn from their mistakes and pursue their dreams. “India is progressing rapidly, and I want each one of you to progress as well,” he said.
He ended on the note that abuses never solve any issue and “let’s guide the misguided. Let’s work together. Let’s work for Bharat.”
