Gurmehar Kaur withdraws from AISA march, says `I've shown enough courage`

Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur had launched a social media campaign against the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad after a spate of violence in Ramjas College in Delhi.

New Delhi: Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur, who launched an online campaign against the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) after the February 22 violence in Delhi University's Ramjas College, has decided to withdraw from the campaign.

On Tuesday, Kaur, the daughter of Captain Mandeep Singh who died in the Kargil war, posted a series of tweets, saying she will not be participating in the AISA march to be held today.

"I'm withdrawing from the campaign. Congratulations everyone. I request to be left alone. I said what I had to say", the student of Delhi's Lady Sri Ram College said.

"I have been through a lot and this is all my 20 year self could take :). The campaign is about students and not about me. Please go to the March in huge numbers. Best of luck,” Kaur said.

"To anyone questioning my courage and bravery...I've shown more than enough. One thing is for sure, next time we will think twice before resorting to violence or threats and that's all this was about," she added.

Students and teachers from the Delhi University today held a peace march at Khalsa College along with AISA workers in an attempt to restore peace and safety on the campus.

On Monday, the DU North Campus saw protests by students affiliated with ABVP and teacher organisations against 'anti-national' activities by "left-leaning" students.

The ABVP held a "Tiranga march" protesting against "left-leaning students supporting anti-national activities", while the Rashtravadi Shikshak Sangh, a teacher's body affiliated to the RSS, organised a dharna to protest against what they termed as "leftist conspiracies".

Members of the BJP-backed National Democratic Teachers' Front (NDTF) also took part in it.

The protest marches came days after clashes erupted between activists of the ABVP and the left-wing All India Students' Association (AISA) outside Ramjas College after the RSS' students body forced suspension of an event to be addressed by JNU student Umar Khalid on February 21.

Khalid was jailed in 2016 on sedition charges for allegedly shouting anti-national slogans.

Gurmehar Kaur made a Facebook post in the wake of the Ramjas violence, with the hashtag #studentsagainstABVP. 

She posted a picture of herself holding a placard that said, "I am a student from Delhi University. I am not afraid of ABVP. I am not alone. Every student of India is with me."

The post went viral with hundreds of shares. She also held a poster, saying 'Pakistan did not kill my dad, war killed him'.