Martyr's daughter faces 'rape threat' on Facebook

Gurmehar Kaur, the daughter of Kargil martyr Captain Mandeep Singh, whose social media campaign against student group ABVP went viral, filed a complaint with Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Monday, claiming to have been threatened with rape.

Acting swiftly on the complaint, DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal, in a letter to Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik, recommended lodging an FIR against the accused immediately and providing security to the Delhi University student and her family members.

“She has given us complete evidence along with a list of names of the boys who have threatened her on social media. We have requested Delhi Police to take swift action in the matter,” the DCW chief told reporters. Maliwal termed the “rape threats” to Gurmehar, a student of Lady Shri Ram College, “shameful” and said police must take action against the accused.

“We need to find who these people are. She has called for action against some ABVP members. Any lapse on the part of police in apprehending these persons will send out a clear message that anyone can do anything with a girl in this country and nothing will happen to such person as a consequence,” she added.

After the clashes between members of BJP-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and left-leaning All India Students Association (AISA) on Delhi University’s north campus last week, Gurmehar changed her Facebook profile picture with a new one showing her holding a placard that read: “I am a student from Delhi University. I am not afraid of ABVP. I am not alone. Every student of India is with me. #StudentsAgainstABVP.”

Among a barrage of sharp comments against her Facebook post, tweets of former cricketer Virendra Sehwag and actor Randeep Hooda were also seen as intended to bully Gurmehar.

“I have been getting a lot of threats on social media. I think it is very scary when people threaten you with violence or rape. I will not be scared or be cowed down. My father took a bullet for the country and I am also ready to take bullet for the country,” Gurmehar was quoted as saying by news websites.

Meanwhile, the ABVP took out a ‘tiranga’ or tricolour march on north campus of Delhi university amid heavy police deployment, vowing not to allow any event on the campus “which offers a platform for anti-national sloganeering”.