Indian police on Thursday lodged a complaint against Swedish climate changeactivist Greta Thunberg over her tweets on the ongoing farmers’ protest inIndia, according to local media reports.
There has been no official statement from the Delhi Police yet. A DelhiPolice spokesman told Anadolu Agency that he has no details to offerregarding the development.
In the aftermath of this development, Thunberg said she still “supportstheir peaceful protest”.
“No amount of hate, threats, or violations of human rights will ever changethat,” she wrote on Twitter.
Thousands of farmers have been demonstrating on the outskirts of Delhisince November against laws meant to liberalize the agriculture sector.Farmers claim the new rules will threaten their livelihoods.
While the protests went on peacefully since they began in November, theyturned violent on Jan.26, when farmers broke through police barricades tostorm the historic Red Fort in New Delhi, injuring at least 400 policeofficers. The government has now cut off the internet at the protestingsites, have installed Iron nails and put a barbed wire to barricade theprotesting areas.
India hits back as celebrities support farmers protestlink
Earlier, the government issued a disproportionate response to a tweet frompopstar Rihanna in support of the huge protests against the new agriculturelaws.
“The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments,especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accuratenor responsible,” said a statement by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
Read Top Stories
The ministry noted protests must be seen in the context of India’s“democratic ethos and polity”, and the “efforts of the government” and thefarmers to resolve the “impasse.”
On Tuesday evening, Rihanna, who has over 101 million followers on Twitterwhile sharing a news article by CNN network about the farmers’ protest,wrote: “Why aren’t we talking about this?!”
Soon after her tweet, Thunberg, Meena Harris, niece of US Vice PresidentKamala Harris, and other international celebrities extended their supportto the ongoing farm protest.
Falak, Sarah, Afaan, Maya steal day one of HBCWlink
Thunberg said “we stand in solidarity” with the farm protest and shared a”tool kit” on how to help the ongoing protest.
Back in India, top ministers, Bollywood stars and other celebrities havesupported the government by writing the hashtags – #IndiaTogether and#IndiaAgainstPropaganda.
Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar said that India’s “sovereigntycannot be compromised” and “external forces can be spectators but notparticipants.”
