Award-winning lyricist Javed Akhtar waded into the Gurmehar Kaur row on Tuesday evening with his support to Delhi University student Gurmeher Kaur. The 20-year-old was until recently at the helm of an online campaign against Akhil Vidya Bharatiya Parishad before she withdrew from it.
Akhtar posted this tweet:
As many pointed out, it was a barb on cricketer Virender Singh Sehwag and wrestlers Yogeshwar Dutt and the Phogat sisters who have trolled and criticised Kaur for a video promoting peace between India and Pakistan uploaded last year.
The tweet, of course drew sharp reactions, especially from those it was directed against.
This is how Yogeshwar Dutt reacted:
The Phogat sisters have also repsonded to the bard’s barbs:
In fact, father Mahavir Phogat said this in response to the ‘uneducated jibe’:
यहाँ उम्र बीत गयी देश को मेडल दिलाने में,
और वो एक पल नहीं लगाते अनपढ़ बताने में।@Javedakhtarjadu https://t.co/J4D7TuhBeZ— Mahavir Phogat (@MahabirPhogat) February 28, 2017
अपने आप को देश के प्रति समर्पण करने वाला व्यक्ति से ज्यादा ज्ञानी अपनी मातृभूमि पर कोई नहीं होता ।
जय हिंद।@Javedakhtarjadu https://t.co/J4D7TuhBeZ— Mahavir Phogat (@MahabirPhogat) February 28, 2017
Akhtar’s statements also drew him flak from the film fraternity itself, with filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar taking to Twitter to post his opposition:
Javed Akhtar, however, did not just engage with sportspersons in Gurmehar’s defense on social media. He also tweeted the following against Union minister Kiren Rijiju’s tweet about foreign elements ‘polluting’ Gurmehar’s mind and leading her to act the way she is: