Gurmehar Kaur alleges she received rape threats over her Twitter post against ABVP.
Highlights
- DU student Gurmehar Kaur pulls out of protest march for safe campuses
- Alleges rape, death threats for accusing student' group ABVP of violence
- Ms Kaur also trolled on Twitter for a video post on India-Pak peace
Gurmehar Kaur, the Delhi University student who alleged rape threats over her social media campaign against the student group ABVP, pulled out of a protest march today against campus violence. Scores of students and teachers gathered at the Delhi University for the "DU Against Goondagardi (hooliganism)" protest.
In a series of tweets, Ms Kaur said, "To anyone questioning my courage and bravery. I've shown more than enough."
Students in large numbers are holding a protest march against violence in campuses.
The 20-year-old was given police protection yesterday after she was trolled with tweets threatening rape over her Facebook post against the ABVP or Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, a BJP-linked student group accused of setting off violent clashes at Ramjas College over an invitation to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid. The ABVP charged the college with "anti-national activities" because Umar Khalid was accused of sedition last year.
The daughter of a soldier who was killed in 1999, Ms Kaur has also been targeted for a video post from last year in which she appealed for peace between India and Pakistan through placards with messages. One of the placards said, "Pakistan did not kill my dad, war killed him."
Union minister Kiren Rijiju, former cricketer Virender Sehwag and actor Randeep Hooda were among those who appeared to counter Ms Kaur with their tweets.
Mr Rijiju, the Minister of State for Home, tweeted, "Who's polluting this young girl's mind? A strong Arm Force prevents a war. India never attacked anyone but a weak India was always invaded."
Another lawmaker of the ruling BJP, Pratap Simha, compared Gurmehar to terrorist Dawood Ibrahim.
Ms Kaur told NDTV yesterday that she was heartbroken by Virender Sehwag's tweet. "I looked up to him while I was growing up," she said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has come out strongly in support of Ms Kaur, tweeted that he would meet Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to demand action against "ABVP goondaism and rape threats" to the student.
Ms Kaur is a first year student of Lady Shri Ram College; its teachers have expressed "unequivocal support" for her in a statement.