Global icons and activists Rihanna, Greta Thunberg tweet in support of farmers' protests

Global music icon Rihanna, on Tuesday night, tweeted in support of the farmers' protests in India against the three controversial farming law, joining a legion of foreign policymakers, activists, and non-residential Indians who have been helping the cause get global attention.

She tweeted "Why aren't we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest" to her 101 million followers on Twitter, linking to a CNN story about internet cuts in New Delhi, where hundreds and thousands of farmers from across the country have been protesting the government's new farm laws since November 2020.

Rihanna's viral tweet brought the ongoing issue to the attention of policymakers in the US such as Congressman Jim Costa, a Democrat, who said he was "closely monitoring the situation", as well as activists such as Vice President Kamala Harris's niece, Meena Harris, who said the world should be outraged by "India's internet shutdowns and paramilitary violence against farmer protesters."

Rihanna's post has been retweeted nearly 200,000 times since last night (IST).

Climate activist Greta Thunberg, who has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize this year, also tweeted in support of the protests.

The government of India, in response, said earlier today that a "very small section of farmers has reservations about the reforms".

According to a Business Standard report, however, the largest among the 31 farm organisations in Punjab have joined protests in Delhi, after leaving for the country's capital last year in a cavalcade that stretched for 40 kilometres.

"Before rushing to comment on such matters, we urge that facts be ascertained and proper understanding of issues at hand be undertaken. Temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible," the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The widespread internet jams and in Delhi and Haryana followed news of Twitter suspending several accounts that had been tweeting in support of the farmers' protests.

Accounts of Kisan Ekta Morcha, the IT cell of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, tribal leader Hansraj Meena, actor Sushant Singh and news magazine The Caravan were all suspended by Twitter, which did so following complaints raised by the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information, according to news agency ANI's sources.