New Delhi: A protester accused of raising abusive slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 23 has issued a public apology in a video that surfaced online.

In the video, which has gone viral on social media, the protester claims she is 15 years old and says she regrets her actions. However, the authenticity of the video has not been independently verified.

Protester says she was influenced

With folded hands, the girl says she attended the protest with friends after visiting Connaught Place and was influenced by people around her who were shouting abusive slogans against the Prime Minister.

“I came under the influence of those people. I am only 15 years old. Whatever I did was not worthy of forgiveness. I have said a lot of bad things,” she says in the video.

Describing the incident as her “first and last mistake”, she apologised to the country, saying she was deeply ashamed and sought forgiveness.

PM Modi urges compassion

The apology video surfaced hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a video message on Instagram, saying he had forgiven the students accused of abusing him during the protest.

While describing the slogans directed at him and his late mother as hurtful, the Prime Minister urged society to guide young people instead of seeking harsh punishment, saying they should be given an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

FIR under investigation

Earlier, a Zero FIR was registered at Noida’s Expressway Police Station in connection with the alleged use of derogatory slogans during the July 23 protest. The case was registered under Sections 352, 353(1) and 356(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) before being transferred to the Parliament Street Police Station in Delhi for further investigation.

Police have continued their inquiry, while the CJP has criticised the criminal case, arguing that objectionable speech should not be condoned but should be addressed through legal remedies such as defamation proceedings rather than criminal prosecution.