Kamal condemns threats to Gurmehar, but defends ABVP
JALANDHAR : 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.
‘GIRL IN TOUCH WITH COPS OVER THREATS’
NEWDELHI: Gurmehar is in touch with the crime branch officials in the ongoing probe into the rape and death threats given to her and is ready to join investigations in the national capital, Delhi Police said on Friday.
“Gurmehar is communicating with the crime branch on telephone and via email. She has responded of the emails sent by the crime branch officials. Police are trying to identify the culprits. Her Twitter handle comments and Facebook comments are same (linked account),” Special commissioner of police Dependra Pathak said.
He said though the Lady Shri Ram College student has deactivated her Facebook account, it will not hamper police investigation. “The probe is on in a professional manner. Gurmehar, 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: Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal on Friday assured that Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) that he will ask the police to look into complaints of alleged anti-national slogans raised at Ramjas College on February 21 and the violence which took place on February 22.
The five-member ABVP delegation met Baijal on Friday demanding police intervention in the matter.
Violence erupted after a literary festival at Delhi University’s Ramjas College was cancelled.
The event had to be called off after ABVP objected to inviting Jawaharlal Nehru University scholar Umar Khalid, who is an accused in the JNU sedition case of February 9, 2016.
“We were assured that he will speak to Delhi Police about the matter,” said Saket Bahuguna, ABVP national media convener.
ABVP told the lieutenant governor that no separate FIR has been filed in the Ramjas incident based on their complaint.
The RSS-affiliated student body also asked the lieutenant governor for a probe into
We were assured that he (lieutenant governor) will speak to Delhi Police about the matter... We want them (police) to identify those who raised the slogans as well as the organisers of the event where antinational slogans were raised. SAKET BAHUGUNA, national media convener of ABVP
the alleged rape threats to Gurmehar Kaur, a student of Lady Shri Ram College and a martyr’s daughter, who had started a campaign against ABVP.
Kaur alleged that she had received rape threats for running her campaign.
They also raised the issue of February 9 Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) sedition case, in which Delhi Police are yet to file a chargesheet.
“We want them (police) to identify those who raised the slogans as well as the organisers of the event where anti-national slogans were raised,” said Bahuguna.
The group also submitted a memorandum to the lieutenant governor about the killing of ABVP activists in Kerala.
On the same Ramjas College row the students, teachers and left leaning organisations will be leading a citizens march on Saturday from Mandi House to Parliament Street.
‘GORY’ POSTERS
On the Delhi University campus, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) complained to the police and asked them to remove the hoardings put up by ABVP on Thursday.
The pictures used on the hoardings related to the killings of RSS workers in other parts of the country, which NSUI described as brutal and violent.
“The hoardings which have been put up are inciting in nature. These placards have been attributed to Delhi University Students Union and ABVP. As a member of DUSU, I disown the hoardings. The ABVP needs to understand they do not own DUSU and it’s criminal to use the name of students union,” said Mohit Garid, DUSU joint secretary.