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Gurmehar row: Mahavir Phogat's Dangal with Javed Akhtar on hardly literate post

Virender Sehwag and Yogeshwar Dutt’s comments, that allegedly targeted Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur, drew angry reactions from many platforms. Leading their criticism was Javed Akhtar, who called them ‘hardly literate’. This comment has angered legendary wrestling coach Mahavir Phogat, who targeted the poet-lyricist.

“If a hardly literate player or a wrestler troll a pacifist daughter of a martyr it’s understandable but whats wrong with some educated folks,” Akhtar wrote on Twitter.

If a hardly literate player or a wrestler troll a pacifist daughter of a martyr its understandable but whats wrong with some educated folks

— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) February 28, 2017

Phogat, on whom the Aamir Khan-starrer movie Dangal was made, posted an emotional reply to Akhtar’s accusations. “Yaha Umr bit gayi desh ko medal dilane mein, aur woh ek pal nahin lagate unpadh batane mein (Spent life-time winning medals for country, and they didn’t take a moment to call us illiterate),” Phogat wrote on Twitter, tagging Akhtar in the post.

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

Phogat’s daughters Geeta and Babita had also reacted on the controversy surrounding Gurmehar.

“Gurmehar Kaur’s view that her father was killed by war and not Pakistan was wrong for me. It’s against our nation and martyrs,” said Babita, a 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medal winner.

Her elder sister Geeta, first Indian woman wrestler to win gold at Commonwealth Games, echoed Babita’s views. “If you speak against nation, people will obviously not like it. Irrespective of gender, the person won’t be spared,” she said.

Gurmehar’s comments

Gurmehar, daughter of Captain Mandeep Singh who died fighting with militants in Kashmir, had posted a picture on her Facebook profile after the violent clashes in Delhi University’s north campus.

In the photo, she holds a placard which reads, “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”.

Earlier, Gurmehar posted an image in which she holds a placard saying: “Pakistan did not kill my dad, war did.”

Sehwag, Yogeshwar’s reactions

It was this tweet that was allegedly targeted by sportspersons including Virender Sehwag and Yogeshwar Dutt.

Sehwag, who is known for his slapstick comments on Twitter, posted an image of him holding a placard, which read: “I didn’t two score triple centuries, my bat did.”

Bat me hai Dum !#BharatJaisiJagahNahi pic.twitter.com/BNaO1LBHLH

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) February 26, 2017

However, later Sehwag said his comments were not directed to Gurmehar. “My tweet wasn’t intended for Gurmehar. It was plain fun but people construed the other way,” Sehwag told India Today.

Dutt’s post has an image of Gurmehar along with Adolf Hitler, Osama Bin Laden and a Black Buck.

The picture of Hitler read: “Did not kill jews GAS DID.” Bin Laden’s image said: “Did not kill people BOMBS DID.” And the Black Buck image said: “Bhai didn’t kill me BULLETS DID”, drawing reference to an incident which allegedly involved actor Salman Khan.

??? pic.twitter.com/SiH90ouWee

— Yogeshwar Dutt (@DuttYogi) February 28, 2017

Source: HindustanTimes