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NEW DELHI: India has slammed international celebrities for making comments in support of protesting farmers as ‘inaccurate and irresponsible’, saying that vested interest groups were trying to build opinion against the country.
“Before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement today (Wednesday).
The statement added, “The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible.”
International pop sensation Rihanna, climate change activist Greta Thunberg and US lawyer and activist Meena Harris, the niece of Vice-President Kamala Harris, extended their support to protesting farmers on social media.
Tens of thousands of farmers have camped out on the outskirts of New Delhi for more than two months, demanding the withdrawal of new agricultural laws that they say benefit private buyers at the expense of growers.
The protests turned violent on Jan 26, when farmers broke into the historic Red Fort complex, with one protester killed and hundreds injured. Talks between the government and the protest leaders have so far failed to achieve any breakthrough.