The mother of a 15-year-old Noida girl seen abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a viral video has thanked him for choosing forgiveness over retaliation, saying he had given her daughter "jeevandaan", a new lease of life, on her birthday.
What the mother said
Speaking to PTI, the mother said, "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. Today, this girl has been reborn." She added, with folded hands, "We are nothing before him. He is the raja of this nation," and appealed to the Prime Minister to withdraw the FIR against her daughter, asking him to consider treating the teenager as his own child.
She also urged authorities to introduce stronger safeguards preventing minors from participating in protests, and called for restrictions on social media access for underage users, saying children should prioritise their education over demonstrations.
How the controversy began
The girl appeared in a clip from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest at Jantar Mantar on July 23, organised over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, where abusive slogans targeting the Prime Minister were raised. She later said she had gone to Connaught Place with friends that day, came across the protest out of curiosity, and was handed a microphone by people at the site who encouraged attendees to "say whatever they wanted." A Zero FIR was subsequently registered against her at Noida's Expressway Police Station on July 29, alleging the remarks insulted the dignity of the constitutional office; the case was later transferred to Parliament Street police station.
The Prime Minister's response, and the girl's apology
On Friday, PM Modi released a video message on Instagram saying he had chosen to forgive the students accused of abusing him during the protest. "The abusive slogans used against me and my late mother were deeply disturbing," he said, "but young people should be given an opportunity to learn from their mistakes," adding that he did not believe "anger or retaliation" was the answer.
Soon after, the teenager posted her own apology video, saying, "I am only 15 years old. What I did is not worthy of forgiveness... but this will be my first and last mistake," and separately said she was "very happy" the Prime Minister had forgiven her, describing it as having gotten "a new life."
The incident comes amid the politically charged aftermath of the CJP-led protests, which have seen legal action and increased scrutiny of participants. While PM Modi publicly chose forgiveness over prosecution, it remains unclear whether the FIR against the minor will be withdrawn, as requested by her mother.