Babita Phogat Enters Gurmehar Row; Randeep Hooda Defends Himself

“Is it okay to speak in favour of those who can’t speak in favour of their country?” Babita Phogat asked.

Babita Phogat responds to a comment about Haryana on a Twitter thread. (Photo: The Quint)

Gurmeher Kaur, a student of Lady Shri Ram college, sparked a social media storm when she kicked off an anti-ABVP campaign in the wake of the violence at Ramjas College on 22 February.

The tweet drew reactions from the likes of cricketer Virender Sehwag and actor Randeep Hooda. The latest to join the conversation is star wrestler Babita Phogat.

When journalist Rana Ayyub mocked Hooda on the issue of emancipation of women in Haryana, Phogat took to Twitter to register her protest.

Also read: Did Sehwag’s Reply to Kargil Martyr’s Daughter Go For a Six?

“Jo aapne desh ke haq m bat nhi kar sakti uske haq m bat karna thik h kya?” (Is it okay to talk in favour of those who can’t speak in the favour of their country?) she asked.

In an interview to News18, she said:

We can tolerate everything but anyone who will speak against the country will not be tolerated.

Gurmehar Kaur Trolled on Social Media

Kaur’s display picture, with her holding up a placard condemning the ABVP’s actions as a part of the #StudentsAgainstABVP campaign, drew varied reactions on social media. Sehwag responded to Kaur with the following message:

While some criticised Sehwag for his tweet, others, like actor Randeep Hooda, lauded it:

After Kaur accused him of encouraging the hate tweets, directed at her, by appreciating Sehwag’s jibe, Hooda put out a statement on his Facebook profile, asking people to not “hang him over a laugh!”

“Viru cracked a joke and I admit I laughed. Damn!! He is so witty and this is one of the other million things he’s said that made me crack up. That was it!” he wrote in his Facebook post. 

Also read: Gurmehar Gets Police Cover, DCW Vows Action on ABVP ‘Rape Threats’

(With inputs from News18.)