India / PM also my son: Shaheen Bagh's Bilkis who was named in TIME 100 list

New Delhi: Bilkis Dadi from Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, who is on TIME magazine's list of 100 "Most Influential People of 2020", has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "my son" and she would be happy to meet him, if invited. The 82-year-old woman became the face of anti-citizenship law protests in the country earlier this year.

Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, the heart of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, had received worldwide attention after the citizenship law cleared the parliament last year. Most of the protesters participating in the sit-in, which continued till late-March, were women. Recalling the struggle of the protesters, Bilkis, a.k.a "Dadi of Shaheen Bagh", told news agency ANI: "We continued our sit-in even as it rained or mercury dropped or temperature shot up. We had been sitting ever since our kids were thrashed in Jamia. Shots were fired in front of us, yet nothing deterred us.""I am very happy that I was honoured in this manner. Although I did not expect this." said the grandmother speaking to ANI after the recognition.

Along with Bilkis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, actor Ayushman Khurrana, biologist Ravindra Gupta and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai were on the list of '100 Most Influential People of 2020' that was released on Wednesday and features pioneers, artists, leaders, icons and titans who have had the most impact in 2020.

"I have read only the Quran Sharif and I have never been to school but today I feel excited and happy.

On being asked about India's fight against COVID-19, she said: "Our first fight is against coronavirus. The disease should be eliminated from the world."

The family of Bilkis Dadi also expressed their excitement on her being recognised among the world's most influential people including Prime Minister Modi.