It only took a tweet from Rihanna to enrage the government of India and supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party..
The pop star shared a link to an article about the massive farmer protests that have paralyzed the country for more than two months.
Now senior government officials, Indian celebrities and even the Foreign Ministry are asking the population to join in and report foreigners who try to affect the country.
“It is regrettable to see vested interest groups trying to enforce their agenda in these protests and divert them,” the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a rare statement criticizing “foreign individuals” by posting on social media, but without naming Rihanna and others who followed her example.
Tens of thousands of farmers have camped out on the outskirts of the Indian capital, New Delhi, to protest against new legislation that they say will make them poorer and leave them at the mercy of corporations.. The mobilizations represent a major challenge for Modi, who described the laws as necessary to modernize the agricultural sector.
Activists from the United Hindu Front (UHF) demonstrated in India with photos of Greta Thunberg and Rihanna after they made comments on the networks about the massive protests by farmers. Photo Money SHARMA / AFP.
The protracted protests have been mostly peaceful, but violence erupted on January 26, on Republic Day, when tens of thousands of farmers, aboard their tractors and on foot, stormed the 17th-century Red Fort in a short but shocking take. Hundreds of officers were injured and one of the protesters died. Dozens of protesters were also injured, but the authorities did not offer specific information.
Farmer leaders condemned the violence, but said they will not stop protesting.
Since then the authorities have greatly increased security at the demonstration sites outside the New Delhi border to prevent protesters from reaching the capital. The government also restricted access to the internet on cell phones at the protest sites until Tuesday.
The latest controversy started the day before yesterday, Tuesday, when Rihanna wrote to her more than 101 million followers on Twitter: “Why aren’t we talking about this ?!” and shared a link to a news item on CNN television about the blocking of internet services at the protest sites, a tactic used by the Modi government to stop the mobilizations.
The Associated Press and multiple international news outlets have reported the protests for months.
Rihanna’s tweet was followed by international condemnation of human rights groups and the outrage of the supporters of Modi’s party. The Foreign Ministry accused “foreign individuals” and celebrities of “sensationalism.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg and US Vice President Kamala Harris’ niece Meena Harris were among those who tweeted their support. sparking a social media storm in India.
Bollywood stars and athletes, many of whom have kept silent about the protests and tend to follow the government’s line, united in one voice using the hashtags #IndiaContraLaPropaganda and #IndiaUnida, echoing the official position on the matter.
“No one is talking about this because they are not farmers, they are terrorists who are trying to divide India,” tweeted actress Kangana Ranaut, who supports Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party.
Tweets from Rihanna and Thunberg They also had the response of almost all the leaders of the Modi formation, including the Foreign Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and the Interior Minister, Amit Shah, pointing out that “no propaganda can prevent the unity of India.”
The leader of the main opposition party in Congress, Shashi Tharoor said the damage to India’s world image from the “undemocratic behavior of the government” cannot be restored by getting celebrities to tweet.
Tharoor said on Twitter that the fact that the Indian government “makes Indian celebrities react to Western (celebrities) is disgraceful.” Source: SHEIKH SAALIQ / AP.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/rihannas-tweet-sparked-a-scandal-in-india/
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