Gurmehar row: Javed Akhtar takes back 'harsh' words against Sehwag

New Delhi [India], Mar. 2 (ANI): Somewhat putting an end to the Twitter war, poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar has now taken back his 'rather harsh words' against cricketer Virendra Sehwag. The 72-year-old recently responded to Sehwag, who issued clarification on Wednesday that his tweet was an attempt to be facetious rather than one to bully anyone over their opinion. He tweeted, "Since Sehwag undoubtedly a great player has clarified he was just being facetious n is not anti Gurmehar I take back my rather harsh words." Javed Akhtar had weighed in on the controversy over 20-year-old Gurmehar Kaur's remarks, criticising wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and Sehwag who were seen as trolling her. He slammed them as 'hardly literate player, wrestler', which later triggered a storm, with hundreds rushing in to defend the two sportspersons and slamming the Padma Shri awardee. In another tweet, Akhtar lauded cricketer Gautam Gambhir who extended his support for Kargil martyr's daughter Gurmehar Kaur. "My respect for Gautam Gambhir who with out any fear of trolls n right wing extremists has stood for Gurmehar 's freedom of expression.Bravo," he posted. Gurmehar, the daughter of Kargil martyr Captain Mandeep Singh, sparked a controversy for her social media campaign against the ABVP following which she also received rape threats. Clashes erupted last week after the ABVP students allegedly manhandled and thrashed students protesting the cancellation of an event at Ramjas College at which controversial JNU student Umar Khalid was scheduled to speak. (ANI)