US VP Kamala's niece compares US Capitol Hill riot & India's farmer stir; makes a mess

Meena Harris, lawyer and niece of American vice-president Kamala Harris, on Wednesday tweeted in support of the farmers protesting against the Centre's farm laws. Referring to the US Capitol Hill attack, she said that it is "no coincidence" that the world's oldest democracy was attacked not even a month ago and as we speak, "the most populous democracy is under assault."

'We all should be outraged' 

Calling both the events related, she wrote, "We all should be outraged by India's Internet shutdowns and paramilitary violence against farmer protesters."

It is not completely clear, however, what exactly she is comparing. Indian authorities have been questioned for the lack of action against rioting farmers on Republic Day and have simultaneously been praised for not firing a single shot, potentially warding off any mass casualty incident despite being outnumbered and putting themselves in harm's way. In the US Capitol Hill riot, on the other hand, 5 people had died despite it being far smaller in scale.

Meena Harris also praised Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for speaking up after she described being terrified for her life during the storming of the US Capitol in an emotional broadcast on Monday night, doubling down on calls for Republican politicians to be held accountable. 

"Just as outraged as we are about the traumas that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others experienced at the Capitol insurrection. And not just because fascism anywhere threatens democracy everywhere (although, uhhh, IT DOES). Trump may have left office, but look around: the tide is still rising," she tweeted.

In another tweet, Meena Harris wrote, "Militant nationalism is just as potent a force in US politics as it is in India or anyplace else. It can only be stopped if people wake up to the reality that FASCIST DICTATORS aren’t going anywhere. Not unless: 1) we organize and 2) THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CAPITOL ATTACK."

Farmer Unions announce 'chakka jam' on February 6

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at several Delhi border points since November last year, demanding the government to repeal the three farm laws and legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

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Meanwhile, Farmer Unions on Monday announced a countrywide 'chakka jam' on February 6 when they would block national and state highways for three hours in protest against the internet ban in areas near their agitation sites, harassment allegedly meted out to them by authorities and other issues.

Sites of the farmer protest at Delhi's borders have turned into fortresses with the police beefing up security and putting up multi-layer barricades to stop the movement of vehicles. Barbed wire has also been put up to keep off people on foot. The strengthened security measures at the agitation sites across the Delhi borders come after the violence during the Republic day tractor parade by protesting farmers in which 394 security personnel were injured.

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