Kamal condemns threats to Gurmehar, but defends ABVP
Punjab’s former BJP chief Kamal Sharma on Friday condemned threats to Delhi University students Gurmehar Kaur but defended right-wing student outfit Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on nationalism.
In a video posted on the social media on Friday evening, Sharma flayed obnoxious words against Gurmehar and said the nation respects her and her family and such remarks did not speak well of a democratic nation.
Sharma, who remained an active member of the ABVP during his student day for over 10 years, said be it Gurmehar or any other citizen of the country, all have freedom of expression and speech.
“The ABVP is a student orga- nisation that stood for the national interest when Punjab was on the boil during terrorism days. It also remained at the forefront in helping people during Kashmir unrest,” said Sharma.
He squarely blamed the Leftists for vitiating the atmosphere at Delhi’s Ramjas college and said free speech at the cost of nationalism can never be allowed. “Leave aside the ABVP, no Indian would like to hear anti-national slogans. We can’t stop people from condemning the ABVP as they have their own likes and dislikes and are free to have their opinion,” he said.
In his message to Gurmehar, he says: “You said you are not afraid of the ABVP and every student of India is with you, but I must say that I am proud that I was part of the ABVP for 20 years.”
Sharma also made an appeal to Gurmehar to keep on raising her voice and lead a campaign that unites the country. “You are a martyr’s daughter and we are proud of it. Our country is facing many challenges and some forces are working to divide us. I will be happy if you lead campaigns against divisive forces,” Sharma said. who is in Punjab at present, is ready to join the probe in Delhi too. She has taken 15-day leave from her college,” he said.
Delhi Police have sought the help of Google search engine and Twitter’s headquarters to track the IP addresses from which the threats emanated, Pathak added.
The officer earlier said the police investigation is based on Gurmehar’s complaint and a screenshot that the Delhi Commission for Women forwarded along with her complaint to the Delhi Police.
Gurmehar had complained of rape and death threats by unknown persons on social media sites after she launched a campaign against the ABVP after the February 22 violence at Ramjas College on Delhi University’s North Campus.
NEW DELHI: Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur, who found herself in the middle of an acrimonious debate over nationalism, was on Friday trolled again after a video of a young woman singing, dancing in a car was circulated on social media.
Several Twitter users were quick to assume the girl was the 20-year-old Lady Shri Ram College student, who launched a campaign against the ABVP after violence in city’s Ramjas College.
Kaur was forced to leave Delhi after she was allegedly threatened with rape and her campaign triggered an ugly debate on free speech, with politicians also joining in.
The woman in the clip is not Kaur but as the video went viral, trolls followed. A news website even carried a story wondering if the woman was Kaur.
The video, like the Ramjas violence, turned into a Left vs Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad slugfest.
CPI (ML) Politburo member Kavita Krishnan accused the ABVP, of circulating the video to defame Kaur. “Look at the comments on Twitter. They are accusing her of being a Naxal. Some woman is simply dancing and singing in the car. What is the problem with that?” she said.
The ABVP, which is the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, the ideological parent of the BJP, denied the accusation.
“The ABVP does not do such things. It is becoming completely illogical. Social media is an unregulated space and it is the communists who are spreading anarchy in the name of freedom of speech and expression,” the student body’s media convenor Saket Bahuguna said.
There were many who came out in support of the woman in the video. “Even if this video was indeed featuring Gurmehar, does her drinking discredit her statement and thinking?” Gurmeet Arora tweeted.