DU violence: Mysuru BJP MP compares Kargil martyr's daughter to Dawood

In a controversial tweet, Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Mysuru's Kodagu constituency, Pratap Simha has compared Kargil martyr’s daughter Gurmehar Kaur to 1993 Mumbai blasts mastermind Dawood Ibrahim.

Simha posted an image of Kargil martyr's daughter Gurmehar Kaur holding a placard that read 'Pakistan did not kill my dad, war killed him', along with a photo of Dawood holding a placard that read 'I did not kill people in 1993, bombs killed them.'

Simha said that even Dawood Ibrahim did not use the crutches of his father's name to justify his anti-national stand.

MoS Home Kiren Rijiju also took aim at Kaur through a tweet on Monday, stating, “Who's polluting this young girl's mind? Strong armed forces prevent a war. India never attacked anyone but a weak India was always invaded”.

Responding to threats of violence and rape on social media, Delhi University (DU) student daughter Gurmehar Kaur on Monday said that she was ready to ‘take a bullet for the country’ just as her father had done 17 years ago.

She also filed a complaint with the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) alleging harassment on social media.

Kaur had on Sunday faced backlash on social media for changing her Facebook profile picture holding a placard which 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".

Speaking to ANI on the recent violence at Ramjas College of Delhi University’s North Campus, Kaur said, “I will not be scared or be cowed down (by the threats). My father took a bullet for the country, and I am also ready to take a bullet”.

Attacking ABVP for taking law and order into their own hands, Kaur asserted her patriotism. “I love my country. I also love my fellow students, and I support their right to freedom of speech,” she said.

But I will not get scared because I know that I am standing for the right. And it does not matter to me that you are an organisation which is in power, no one can tell me that I should be scared," she added.

Gurmehar also justified the reasons for initiating her campaign.

"It was a simple day that, when I got to know that my female colleagues have been physically assaulted in the protest which took place in the Ramjas College. I also got to know that women were given rape threats. According to me, it was high time to take action against these ABVP people, or for that matter any student organisations which try to challenge the law and order or attempts to misbehave," said Gurmehar.

"And that is why we started this campaign so that we can send across a message that we will not bear any nonsense or violence," she added.

Gurmehar further said, "I have been termed anti-national. However, I don't feel the need to prove my nationalism. The fact is that are they nationalists? No when you threaten your fellow citizens, you don't remain a nationalist."