Ruchika Singh’s apology comes hours after PM Modi said he had forgiven the students accused of abusing him and his late mother, urging society to guide young people rather than seek punishment.
BY PC Bureau
NEW DELHI, August 1: A video purportedly showing Ruchika Singh, the teenager accused of using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the July 23 student protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, apologising with folded hands has gone viral on social media, days after a criminal case was registered against her and hours after the Prime Minister publicly said he had forgiven the students involved.
In the video, Singh identifies herself as a 15-year-old and says she was influenced by people around her who were shouting abusive slogans against the Prime Minister. According to her, she had gone to Jantar Mantar with friends after visiting Connaught Place and became caught up in the atmosphere of the protest.
“I came under the influence of those people,” she says. “I am only 15 years old. Whatever I did is beyond forgiveness. I said many terrible things.”
Describing the incident as the “first and last mistake” of her life, she adds: “I apologise to the entire country. I am deeply ashamed. I cannot even face myself. Please forgive me.”
The apology video has been widely shared across social media platforms. India Today could not independently verify its authenticity.
The video surfaced shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a video message on Instagram on Friday, saying he had chosen to forgive the students who had used abusive language against him during the protest and urging society to counsel young people instead of seeking retribution.
“The abusive slogans directed at me and my late mother were deeply hurtful,” Modi said. “But young people deserve an opportunity to learn from their mistakes rather than be defined by them.”
Ruchika Singh, a CJP protester who made abusive remarks against PM Narendra Modi, has issued an apology to the entire country.
She claims that other people at the protest influenced and encouraged her to use abusive language. She has promised never to repeat such an act again.… pic.twitter.com/hNQULRZ8r1
— Mukesh (@mksh_kgp) July 31, 2026
A Zero FIR was registered against Ruchika Singh at Noida’s Expressway Police Station on July 29 over the alleged derogatory slogans. The complaint alleged that her remarks insulted the dignity of the office of the Prime Minister and were intended to promote ill-will and disturb public order.
READ: PM Modi Appeals for Forgiveness for Youth Who Abused Him
The case has been registered under Sections 352, 353(1) and 356(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The Zero FIR has since been transferred to Parliament Street Police Station in Delhi for further investigation.
According to available information, Singh lived with her mother in a residential society in Noida. The apartment has remained locked since the protest, and security staff told investigators she has not returned. Police have visited the society and questioned residents as part of the ongoing investigation.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which organised the Jantar Mantar protest, criticised the criminal proceedings against Singh. Party spokesperson Saurav Das said that while abusive language should not be defended, prosecuting a teenager over her remarks could have a chilling effect on free speech.
“Objectionable or derogatory language should not be condoned, but criminal prosecution over such remarks would have a chilling effect on free speech,” Das said. “If anyone feels aggrieved, the appropriate remedy is a defamation action rather than invoking criminal law.”
