Activists burned posters of climate activist Greta Thunberg and singer Rihanna on Thursday (February 4) in India, after the two commented in support of protesting farmers in the country.
Thunberg had tweeted in support of farmers who have been protesting since late 2020 on the outskirts of Delhi, while U.S. pop superstar Rihanna also weighed into the row in a posting to her 101 million Twitter followers.
“We ALL should be outraged by India’s internet shutdowns and paramilitary violence against farmer protesters,” U.S. lawyer and activist Meena Harris, a niece of Vice-President Kamala Harris, said on Twitter.
Activists from United Hindu Front burned posters of the celebrities in New Delhi while raising slogans calling their tweets interference by foreign powers in internal matters of India and provocation of Indians.
Tens of thousands of farmers have camped on the outskirts of New Delhi for months demanding the withdrawal of new agriculture laws that they say benefit private buyers at the expense of growers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government denies this, saying the reforms open up new opportunities for farmers.
(Production: Natasa Bansagi)