Days after his tweet against Kargil martyr’s daughter Gurmehar Kaur went raging like a wildfire, the former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has now taken a U-turn and said that his tweet was not meant to bully anyone.
Earlier this month, Kaur took to her twitter handle to share her anger in protest against clashes between BJP backed student wing ABVP and Left-wing affiliated AISA over Umar Khalid’s programme at Ramjas College.
Blaming ABVP for the violence at Ramjas college, Kaur changed 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”. The campaign gathered huge support on social media.
Soon after this, Sehwag tweeted an image where he had a placard in his hand that read, “I didn’t score two triple centuries, my bat did.” This comment by Sehwag created a stir immediately and also drew a lot of flak, which was initiated by journalist Shekhar Gupta and Barkha Dutt.
The ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ Sehwag has now come out in support of Gurmehar and has given clarifications on his tweets. Rendering support to Gurmehar, he said, “Everyone has a right to express their views without being bullied or threatened.
“She has a right to express her views and anyone who threatens her with violence or rape is the lowest form of life,” Sehwag added.
She has a right to express her views and anyone who threatens her with violence or rape is the lowest form of life: V Sehwag #GurmeharKaur
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 1, 2017
“My tweet was (an) attempt to be facetious rather than one to bully anyone over their opinion. Agreement or disagreement wasn’t even a factor,” he asserted.
My tweet was attempt to be facetious rather than one to bully anyone over their opinion;Agreement/disagreement wasn’t even factor: V Sehwag pic.twitter.com/zH0uuKiLaH
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 1, 2017
Earlier, voicing an opinion against Sehwag’s tweet, JNU student Umar Khalid posted a counter on his Facebook account which read, “Virender Sehwag played for BCCI, he does not represent India. The thousands of students and teachers who came out in Delhi University today, they represent India – a vision of a new India based on equality, justice and freedom”.
Meanwhile, Bollywood veteran Naseeruddin Shah backed Gurmehar and slammed Sehwag and partner-in-crime Randeep Hooda touting their comment as ‘insensitive’.
