New Delhi, Feb. 18: A BJP campaign hyped to build on "nationalist" sentiments purportedly unleashed by the JNU turmoil got off to a low-key start in the capital, queered by the backlash against the court violence and the assault on journalists and a rights activist.

Gujarat and Karnataka, though, saw a fair turnout for the "Jan Swabhimaan Abhiyan" - or People's Self-Respect Campaign - because of the party's efforts, aided by RSS student wing ABVP.

In Delhi, however, the "nationalism" campaign was crowded out by a JNU solidarity show outside Mandi House.

Sources said the Delhi no-show was mainly because of the backlash against the violence unleashed on the students, teachers and media by lawyers sympathetic to the RSS and the BJP at the Patiala House Courts complex and the bashing up of a CPI activist by Delhi BJP MLA O.P. Sharma.

National secretary Shyam Jaju directed the Delhi BJP to virtually abandon the campaign and focus on mobilising crowds for a march from Rajghat to Jantar Mantar, the popular protest hub, on February 21 to highlight Rahul Gandhi's "anti-nationalism".

The Congress leader had joined a protest at JNU a day after students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on the charge of sedition.

"A negative message has gone down the line," a BJP official admitted. "When the lawyers bashed up journalists and others, and OPji thrashed the activist (Ameeque Jamei), our well-wishers said we will not take the ' goonda-gardi' (goondaism)."

Vikram Singh Chauhan, the lawyer who led the assault at the Patiala courts, proclaimed himself a BJP "sympathiser". His pictures with several top BJP leaders went viral on social media.

On February 11, journalists present at the BJP office had spotted Chauhan with East Delhi MP Maheish Girri, calling on general secretary and Bengal minder Kailash Vijayavargiya among others and genuflecting before them. The JNU crackdown started a day later.

Sharma's close association with finance minister Arun Jaitley - that had once turned frosty after the legislator was allegedly involved in intra-party clashes - has also put the BJP in a quandary on whether to condemn his act.

Sources said "in all probability" Jaitley would again distance himself from Sharma.

"Of course, we don't back violence, but people are very worked up over JNU," general secretary Anil Jain said. "I was in the US when all this happened. I mentioned what OPji had done to a friend. His spontaneous reaction was take two bullets from me and fire away on the anti-national elements. This is the mood we must continue building up."