Gurmehar row: Don’t call our players illiterates, says Goel

New Delhi : Gurmehar row is taking new twist and turn every day. From Javed Akhtar to Mahaveer Phogat to Yogeshwar Dutt  to Randeep Hooda everyone seems to be involved. Now, Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel  jumped into the issue and defended sportspersons under fire for their comments criticising DU student Gurmehar Kaur.

Goel said the country is proud of them and they shouldn’t be treated as “illiterates”.

Through social media, Goel twitted “PLEASE DON’T CALL OUR PLAYERS ILLITERATE. You’re a champion in your field & they are champions in their own field. India is proud of them!(sic.),”

Goel tweet came in the response of veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar’s comment. Earlier, Akhtar tweeted, “If a hardly literate player or a wrestler troll a pacifist daughter of a martyr it’s understandable but what’s wrong with some educated folks.”

Olympic medalist Yogeshwar Dutt had also slammed Akhtar’s remarks saying, “You may have authored poems and stories but even we have made history for India on the world stage“.

“It is not necessary to be highly educated to be a patriot or be a martyr or for that matter have an opinion on something. I felt right I said it, it has nothing to do with my education,” he told reporters.

Earlier in the day, cricketer Gautam Gambhir came out in support of Kaur even as Sehwag defended himself after facing a backlash for ridiculing her.