JOIN USFB post by martyr's daughter triggers political furore
A social media campaign launched by a Kargil martyr’s daughter against the ABVP took a political turn when a BJP Lok Sabha member sought to compare her with fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim. This prompted the Opposition to attack the Narendra Modi government.
Gurmehar Kaur, the daughter of Kargil martyr Captain Mandeep Singh, claimed she was threatened with rape and moved the Delhi Commission for Women (DWC) on Monday. The commission recommended that the Delhi Police should lodge an FIR against the accused and provide security to the girl. Commission chief Swati Maliwal said ‘DWC home guards’ had been deployed to protect her.
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju's commented, asking “who is polluting the young girl's mind”. This drew angry reactions on social media with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and CPM leader Sitaram Yechury backing the student and decrying attempts to “dominate universities”.
BJP MP from Mysuru Pratap Simha’s comparison of Gurmehar with Dawood Ibrahim came under heavy criticism from political rivals with the Congress saying he “did not deserve to be in Parliament.”
Opposition leaders hit out at the BJP and the RSS for their “fascist” mindset and “arrogance of power” for “intimidating” 20-year-old Gurmehar, whose unique form of protest went viral on social media.
Addressing a press conference in Varanasi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said he has asked Delhi Police to exercise caution while dealing with college students and sought a report on the incidents at Delhi University’s Ramjas College.
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad activist Saket Bahuguna said his organisation condemned trolling on social media and wanted action to be taken against those targeting Gurmehar.He also claimed that ABVP activists had come under attack from rival student groups last week at Ramjas College.
After the violent clashes between members of BJP-affiliated ABVP and left-leaning All India Students Association (AISA) on Delhi University campus last week, Gurmehar changed her Facebook profile picture with one showing her with 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.”
“I think it is very scary when people threaten you with violence or with rape. I will not be scared or be cowed down,” she told news channels.