Gurmehar Kaur withdraws campaign against ABVP

DU student requests to be ‘left alone’ and leaves for Jalandhar to be with her family

DU student Gurmehar Kaur on Tuesday pulled out of the protest march held against ABVP while requesting to be “left alone”, and left for Jalandhar to be with her family.

Her decision comes amidst a raging controversy over her social media campaign against RSSbacked ABVP, which attracted alleged threats of rape and a virulent backlash, with even Union ministers joining the fray.

In a series of tweets, the Lady Shri Ram College student announced her decision saying she has been through a lot and “this is all my 20 year self could take. To anyone questioning my courage and bravery... I’ve shown more than enough”.

Ms Kaur earlier urged people not to identify her as a “martyr's daughter” if that “bothers” them. She is the daughter of Capt Mandeep Singh who was killed in a militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir in 1999. She also withdrew from her social media campaign against the ABVP after allegedly receiving threats from the members of the RSSbacked outfit and being trolled by the ruling BJP leaders. “I’m withdrawing from the campaign. Congratulations everyone. I request to be left alone. I said what I had to say. One thing is for sure, next time we will think twice before resorting to violence or threats and that’s all this was about,” she tweeted.

“She has left for Jalandhar to be with her family,” a DCW official told this newspaper.