Ram Subramanium slams politicians for twisting 20-year-old Delhi University student's 'simple message of peace'; asks how someone wanting harmony can be called anti-national
Students and teachers of Delhi University, JNU and Jamia protest against the ABVP at North Campus in New Delhi on Tuesday. Pic/PTI
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After 20-year-old Gurmehar Kaur, it's Ram Subramanium, the director of her viral video, who has become the target of death threats and social media vitriol.
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Subramanium, who is in Delhi at the moment, has been getting death threats from several people on Facebook, who, he says, are those managing Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju's social media account.
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Ram Subramanium
Appalled and angry
"All this just for wanting peace? What has our country become? I have given money from my own pocket to support causes in Mumbai, I have spent nearly all my savings for the Save Aarey campaign, and yet, I'm an anti-national for supporting Gurmehar?" Subramanium questioned.
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"She is just 20, she was fighting against campus violence... What's so difficult to understand about peace and the message she tried to convey? Can people really stoop so low…? I'm not just appalled, I'm angry, at everyone who used her as a tool."
The 39-year-old added, "In the current scenario of social media, anyone who says anything against the ruling party gets heat from them. So, I feel that it's them spreading the hatred."
Politicising peace plea
"After everything blew up on her, she just lost it and called me up and started crying. I had to come down to Delhi for this when I was supposed to be in Goa today. Is this what a 20-year-old speaking for her friends deserves?" he said.
Subramanium, a volunteer with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), feels that politicians have twisted a simple message of peace. "People are targeting me by saying the entire thing is AAP's ploy. I'm only a volunteer, I don't represent the party. I have photos with Devendra Fadnavis as well; does that mean I represent BJP? How has my affiliation got anything to do with the AAP?" he asked.
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"Where were all these people, who want to kill me, when I saved thousands of trees from getting axed at Aarey? We are working for peace and harmony of the country, how can we be anti-nationals? Do they themselves know what loving one's country is, what patriotism is?"
In defence
Former national secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) Ashish Chauhan, who was present at RSS's protest against the Communist Party of India (Marxist) at Azad Maidan yesterday, said, "National media convener of the ABVP Saket Bahuguna himself has filed a complaint on behalf of Gurmehar. Not everyone can be held responsible for this."
Aditi Pandey from All India Students Association, Mumbai, however, retorted, "Not just Ram, but several teachers and students are also getting rape and death threats. The main question is how are you going to stop this culture of violence?"
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