More support pours in for Gurmehar as Bolly celebs, cricketer Gambhir back her

More support poured in for Kargil martyr's daughter Gurmehar Kaur on Wednesday. Bollywood celebrities Anurag Kashyap, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Vidya Balan have come out in support of the Delhi University student , saying she has the right to express her opinion and should not be trolled for it.

Kashyap, who in the past has spoken about the increasing attack on creative freedom, said social media is being used to create polarisation.

"Isn't it so obvious... picking on a silent video from two years ago, the 'Padmavati' incident, the Ramjas incident, Tarek Fateh incident, all else that's going wild on Twitter and Facebook is being used to create polarization, so that the elections have a desired result by those in control," he wrote on Facebook. Dhulia said the fact that an innocent student is being targeted makes him sad.

"She is an innocent girl, she said something and it's sad all the prominent people are commenting on that. They have made her life difficult. I feel very bad, helpless. If the majority thinks like this I don't think the nation is moving on the right path," he said.

Urging people to respect other's freedom of expression, Vidya said, "I don't want to say much about this. I think what we really need to do is respect people's freedom of expression. 'He said something she said something', all are right in their place. But I don't want to add anything more, everyone has the right to express what they feel." 

Cricketer Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday came out in support of DU student Gurmehar Kaur, who is in the eye of a storm over free speech, even as Virender Sehwag defended himself after facing a backlash for ridiculing her.

Taking a strong stand, Gambhir asserted that mocking or "ganging up" on Kaur, a martyr's daughter, for her views on the "horrors of war" was "despicable". Freedom of expression is absolute and equal for all, he tweeted.

In a series of tweets, Sehwag defended himself, claiming that his social media post in reply to Kaur was an "attempt to be facetious" rather than one to bully anyone over their opinion, adding that agreement or disagreement was not even a factor.

"She has a right to express her views and anyone who threatens her with violence or rape is the lowest form of life. Everyone has a right to express their views without being bullied or threatened. Gurmehar Kaur or the Phogat sisters," Sehwag tweeted.

Meanwhile, Gurmehar on Wednesday was provided security by Punjab Police at her native place in Jalandhar.

Jalandhar Commissioner of Police (CP) Arpit Shukla said, "I have put up two lady constables at her residence." 

The security has been provided in the wake of "some threats" she had received earlier, he added.