Noida resident Ruchika Singh, accused of allegedly using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a CJP-led protest at Jantar Mantar, has apologized. A day after the Delhi Police began investigating the zero FIR filed against her, Ruchika released a video.
In the video, she was seen with folded hands and bowed head, apologizing. She claimed she was 15 years old and had been influenced by those present at the protest.
What did Ruchika say in the video?
Ruchika said in the video, “I went to visit CP (Connaught Place) with my friend. A protest was going on there, and several organizations were present. People were saying all sorts of things and abusing the Prime Minister. The people present there asked me to speak. I fell under their influence and said very inappropriate things. I am only 15 years old.”
She further said, “What I did is unforgivable. I said very obscene things. But this is my first and last mistake. I will never do this again. I did not post the video on social media myself. I apologize to the entire nation. I can’t even raise my head in shame. Please forgive me.”
What information did Ruchika’s building guard provide?
However, Ruchika’s claim does not match the information received from the police and her neighbors. Amit Khare, SHO of the Expressway police station, where the first zero FIR was registered in this case, stated that Ruchika lives with her family in Faridabad. He also said that in January, she purchased a flat in Lotus Zing Society in Sector 150, Noida.
Mehtab Singh, the society’s security guard, stated that Ruchika had been living there with her mother for several years and regularly went to work. She has not been seen since the Jantar Mantar incident.
Why was the zero FIR registered?
This zero FIR was filed based on a complaint from Ghaziabad lawyer Smriti Singh. A case was registered under sections 352 (insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 353(1) (public nuisance), and 356(1) (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Since the alleged incident occurred in Delhi, the zero FIR was transferred to the Delhi Police Special Cell on Friday.
Delhi Police has already filed a separate FIR regarding the circulation of the allegedly objectionable video. The police have also issued a notice to social media platform X, asking it to remove the relevant content.
What did Prime Minister Narendra Modi say?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reacted to the incident. In a video released on Instagram on Friday, he said that the language used against him and his late mother was a “cultural shock.”
However, Prime Minister Modi appealed for restraint rather than strict action. He said, “These young people need to be embraced, not punished.” He stated that court cases and criminal proceedings cannot address the larger social issue surrounding this incident.
What did CJP spokesperson Sourav Das say?
Meanwhile, CJP spokesperson Sourav Das and party founder Abhijit Dipke accused the police of selective action. They stated that cases of hate speech should be handled as civil defamation cases rather than criminal cases. They also alleged that no such action was taken against alleged comments by BJP leaders and certain social media accounts linked to the IT cell.