SAD leaders defend Gurmehar; Panjoli seeks Vij’s removal

FATEHGARHSAHIB/ANANDPURSAHIB: Senior vice-president of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Karnail Singh Panjoli has condemned BJP leaders Anil Vij and Kamal Sharma for their comments against Jalandhar girl Gurmehar Kaur. The Delhi University student is in the eye of storm after she launched a campaign against Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on social media over attack on protesting students of Ramjas College in the national capital on February 22.

“Our country does not belong to any political party but to the people. It is democracy and I support Gurmehar Kaur,” Panjoli said. “She is right in saying that war killed her father,” he said.

On Haryana’s sports minister Anil Vij’s statement that “Gurmehar Kaur should be thrown out of country”, Panjoli said, “A man with such sick mentality should be thrown out of the Haryana cabinet.”

On Kamal Sharma’s (former Punjab chief of BJP) advice to Gurmehar, Panjoli said it was easy to advise somebody. “If Kamal Sharma is so concerned, he should pick a gun and guard the border,” he said. Kamal Sharma had condemned threats to Gurmehar, but praised Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on Friday.

CHANDUMAJRA TELLS BJP TO REIN IN ABVP

Akali MP Prem Singh Chandumajra too has come out in support of Gurmehar Kaur on Saturday. Talking to mediapersons at Anandpur Sahib on Saturday, Chandumajra said people talking of nationalism should know that Punjabis and Sikhs accounted for more than 80% of all life sacrifices for the Independence of the country and a martyr’s daughter would never go against the country.

He also urged the BJP high command to rein in its student wing leaders.