Published 18:50 IST, February 4th 2021
Owaisi takes dig at Delhi Police over FIR on Greta Thunberg's tweets; questions priorities
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi took a dig at the Delhi Police after it registered an FIR based on the tweets of environmental activist Greta Thunberg.
On Thursday, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi took a dig at the Delhi Police after it registered an FIR based on the tweets of environmental activist Greta Thunberg. The FIR has been registered under Sections 120, 124A, 153 and 153A of the Indian Penal Code. A day earlier, Thunberg had stirred controversy by backing the protests against the three farm laws passed by the Parliament and sharing a 'toolkit' for people to help in the agitation.
The 6-page document titled 'Ask India Why' consisted of detailed instructions to target the Indian government and a few Indian corporate enterprises, in the garb of the farmers' protest. After the tweet and its contents were highlighted by Republic Media Network on Wednesday, Thunberg deleted it and posted an updated document which was a toned down version. Writing on Twitter, Owaisi slammed the police for perceiving the 18-year-old activist with opinions as an "enemy". Questioning its priorities in dealing with incidents of crime, he stressed that the individuals who lost their lives in the 2020 Delhi riots were still waiting for justice.
MEA cautions foreign celebrities
Tweeting on the agitation against the three farm laws and the suspension of the internet at the protest sites a day earlier, Barbadian pop star Rihanna had questioned, "why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest". Similarly, environmental activist Greta Thunberg and US Vice President Kamala Harris's niece Meena Harris also expressed their support for the farmers' cause in India. This sparked outrage as these comments were seen as foreign meddling in India's internal affairs.
In a strongly-worded statement, the MEA made it clear that the farm reforms were enacted by the Parliament after a full debate and discussion. Maintaining that only a very small section of farmers have reservations about these laws, it mentioned that the Centre has not only conducted 11 rounds of talks with farm unions but also offered to keep the implementation of the laws on hold. The MEA lamented that "vested groups" were trying to derail the protests despite this scenario.
To buttress its point, it highlighted the violence that took place in the national capital during the farmers' tractor rally. Moreover, the Ministry linked the desecration of Mahatma Gandhi statues in different parts of the world to the instigation by fringe elements seeking to mobilize international support against India. It called upon the foreign entities and individuals to ascertain the facts before "rushing to comment" on such matters. According to the MEA, celebrities resorting to sensationalist hashtags and comments is "neither accurate nor responsible".
Updated 18:50 IST, February 4th 2021