IT Correspondent
New Delhi, Mumbai, Feb 4:
A delegation of around 15 MPs from nearly 10 opposition parties, including NCP MP Supriya Sule from Maharashtra, who were on their way to meet protesting farmers at Ghazipur border near Delhi on Thursday were stopped by the police from proceeding.
Sule, SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who resigned from the Narendra Modi ministry, a few months back and DMK MP Kanimozhi were among those who were part of the delegation.
“We are on the way to meet farmers. We all support farmers, we request the government to hold talks with farmers and justice is done to them,” Sule said on her way to the protest site and also communicated the same message in a tweet..
“We are here so that we can discuss this issue (farmers’ protest) in Parliament, Speaker is not letting us raise the issue. Now all the parties will give details of what is happening here,” Harsimrat Kaur said.
Celebrities react
In another turn of events several celebrities, including cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar urged fellow India citizens to remain ‘united as a nation’ after pop star Rihanna drew global attention following her tweet in support of the ongoing farmers’ protest in the country. Greta Thunberg is another person who has tweeted in support of farmers.
“India’s sovereignty cannot be compromised. External forces can be spectators but not participants. Indians know India and should decide for India. Let’s remain united as a nation” Sachin Tendulkar tweeted.
Tendulkar is among several high-profile public figures to have responded after Rihanna shared a report on her twitter timeline about internet being blocked around New Delhi with famers clashing with police. She wrote, “why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest” alongside the link of the CNN article.
Reacting to the tweet, former India spinner Pragyan Ojha asked the singer to not poke nose in “our internal matters!”. “My country is proud of our farmers and knows how important they are, I trust it will be addressed soon. We don’t need an outsider poking her nose in our internal matters!” Ojha replied to the tweet.
The Minister of External Affairs has slammed the individuals for their comments on the farmers’ protest in a detailed statement saying, it’s “unfortunate to see vested interest groups trying to enforce their agenda on these protests, and derail them.”
The agitation has been going on for over two months now with farmers camped around Delhi borders demanding the complete rollback of farm reform laws.