UK Parliament might debate on farmers stir as e-petition attracts thousands of signatures

The House of Commons complex may have a Westminster Hall debate on the issue of farmers' protest and press freedom in India, as considered by the British Parliament's Petitions Committee after an online petition attracted over 106,000 signatures. While the list of signatories for the e-petition also reflects a signature of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as a west London Conservative Party Member of Parliament, Downing Street on Wednesday categorically denied that the UK PM had signed the online petition.

"Petitions that receive 100,000 signatures will be considered for a debate in Parliament. Debates in Westminster Hall where petitions debates take place are currently suspended, but Committee will make an announcement on scheduling this debate as soon as possible," a House of Commons spokesperson said. 
 

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Indian Govt slams foreign entities 

Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Wednesday came down heavily on the statements by certain foreign entities over India's farmer protests, asserting that such 'motivated campaigns will never succeed'. Jaishankar remarked that India today possessed the self-confidence to hold on its own, averring that it would 'push back' against such attempts to target the nation. He also shared the hashtags put forward by the Ministry of External Affairs to counter the propaganda. This came after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement after a few foreign individuals and entities commented on the ongoing farmer protests. The MEA said that before rushing to comment on such matters, it urges that facts are 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 statement said. 

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India's statement comes after international pop star Rihanna, climate activist Greta Thunberg, Lilly Singh, American Vice President Kamala Harris' niece Meena Harris and others meddled in the farmers' issue. Several Indian celebrities and politicians spoke out against the unwarranted statements made by the foreign entities, urging the nation to stay united amid attempts to divide. The ministry has used hashtags - #IndiaTogether and #IndiaAgainstPropaganda. 

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