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What's the harm in Hollywood artists supporting us, asks Rakesh Tikait
They are supporting it without any expectation, the national spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union said.
Amid uproar over international celebrities extending support to the ongoing farmers' protest, Bharatiya Kisan Union national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said there is no harm in Hollywood artists supporting farmers' movement. "I don't know them personally, but they are supporting without any expectation," Tikait said. On Wednesday, Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of the protesting farmers, acknowledged the international support and said it was a matter of pride.
The tweets of American pop singer Rihanna and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg in support of the protest have opened a debate as the ministry of external affairs condemned the support and linked it with an international attempt to hurt India's democracy.
Union ministers, including Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Hardeep Singh Puri, tweeted supporting India's unity and action against any propaganda.
The farmers' protest, which was going on peacefully since November at Delhi borders, got derailed after their proposed tractor march on January 26 resulted in a violent stand-off between protesters and Delhi Police. Over 300 policemen were injured in the clash in which a group of protesters climbed the Red Fort and hoisted religious flags.
Since then, police have launched a crackdown on protesters and internet connection was snapped at the protest sites several times. The farmers are planning a 'chakka jam'
