NEW DELHI: A 22-year-old Indian climate activist has been arrested after sharing a document intended to help farmers protest against new agricultural laws that was tweeted by environmentalist Greta Thunberg.
According to details, Disha Ravi was arrested on Saturday. The police alleged she edited an online “toolkit” containing information on the protests that was put out by Swedish activist Thunberg in early February on Twitter.
A police statement said Ravi was a key conspirator in the document’s formulation and dissemination. The toolkit had basic information on the farmers’ demonstrations, as well as how to join the rallies and support the movement online.
The police further informed that Ravi and her group had shared the toolkit with Thunberg. The arrested activist was a founder of Fridays For Future India, part of an international protest network established by Thunberg to highlight climate change.
Social media platforms have become a major battleground in India with Delhi calling on Twitter to block hundreds of accounts that had commented on the recent farmers’ rallies opposing new agriculture laws.
Since late November farmers have camped on roads leading into the capital calling for new agriculture laws to be repealed, in one of the biggest challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government since it came to power in 2014.
