Published 10:46 IST, February 14th 2021
Delhi Police arrests Bengaluru activist Disha Ravi in probe into Greta-shared 'toolkit'
In the latest development, a 21-year-old climate change activist Disha Ravi was arrested from Bengaluru in relation to the 'toolkit' related to farmers' protest
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In the latest development, a 21-year-old climate change activist Disha Ravi was arrested from Bengaluru in connection with the 'toolkit' related to farmers' protests which was also shared by Greta Thunberg. Disha Ravi, the founder of Friday for Future (FFF), was arrested by the Delhi Police special cell on Saturday and will be questioned for allegedly disseminating the toolkit related to farmers' protests to various people via social media. The 21-year-old is the co-founder of FFF which began in August 2018 when Greta Thunberg announced a school strike against climate change.
Greta shares toolkit, deletes it moments later
Greta Thunberg had previously shared a toolkit titled 'Global Farmers Strike- First Wave', which seems to have been in circulation since early January. It had encouraged people to organise solidarity protests either at or near Indian Embassies, local government offices or offices of various multinational Adani and Ambani companies. It also urged people to participate in the farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day - which had ended in violence.
However, in doing so, Greta Thunberg mistakingly shared a 'toolkit' which had the organised plan of 'Twitter storm' on February 4 and 5, and then solidarity messages by February 5 and 6, besides the Republic Day plot to carry out protests outside the Indian embassies across the world. Just hours later, the toolkit was deleted and an updated toolkit with certain omissions was posted by Greta Thunberg. The outdated 'toolkit' and the current one both provide a list of “urgent actions” as well as “prior actions”. The former has a timeline: A 'Twitter storm' on 4 and 5 February; solidarity photo or video message by 5 and 6 February; contacting government representatives to ask them to take action; signing online petitions; and divesting from Adani, Ambani enterprises.
The list of "prior actions "includes a ‘Digital Strike’ with the hashtag ‘Ask India Why’ and asks the readers to tag @PMOIndia, @nstomar (Minister of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare), the heads of other nations, and international bodies like the IMF, WTO, FAO, World Bank.
Thunberg then shared an 'updated toolkit' which continued to claim that "India has a long history of human rights violations, violence, and a cruel indifference for its most vulnerable citizens." and states that, "It is paramount to put international pressure on India’s Government." It also removes the Republic Day plan from the AskIndiaWhy's 'prior actions' and the call to boycott 'Adani and Ambani'.
Google agrees to identify creators of 'toolkit' doc
Days after environment activist Greta Thunberg shared the 'toolkit' to protest revealing the plot to intensify protests in India, Google has agreed to identify the creators of the document, sources informed. The said document is also under the scanner of the Delhi Police, investigating its connection to the January 26 violence that broke out on the streets of the national capital in the garb of the farmers' protest. Earlier on February 5, the Delhi Police had sought details of several accounts from Instagram and Google in connection with the 'toolkit'. The Delhi Police had also written to Google to get the IP address or the location from where the 'toolkit' shared and uploaded on the social media platform to identify its creators. Prior to that, the Delhi Police filed an FIR in connection with the 'toolkit' which was exposed by Republic Media Network, alleging that it aimed to wage a "social, cultural and economic war against the Government of India".
10:46 IST, February 14th 2021