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<ul><li>The global popstar <keyword id="3318" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rihanna">Rihanna</keyword> took Indians by surprise as she tweeted about the ongoing <keyword id="6365054" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="farmers-protest">farmers protest</keyword>.</li><li>Rihanna’s tweet brought global attention to the farmers' protest, which has been going on for months now against the new farm laws.</li><li>The singer is now facing vicious trolling on Twitter, even from several verified handles on Twitter with people calling her “uninformed”.</li></ul>On late Tuesday night, Google searches for “Rihanna” spiked up across India, especially in Punjab. Why? Global popstar Rihanna took the country by surprise as she tweeted about the ongoing farmers protest. <div type="twitter" handle="rihanna" handlename="Rihanna" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1133109643734130688/BwioAwkz_normal.jpg" favoritecount="473305" retweetcount="189273" status="why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest https://t.co/obmIlXhK9S" createdat="1612279791000" id="1356625889602199552"></div> The tweet has already been retweeted 209,000 times and got 445,000 likes, overnight. Climate activist Greta Thunberg too tweeted about the protest. Rihanna’s tweet brought global attention to the protest in India, which has been going on for months now. Farmers have been seeking a rollback of the country’s new farm laws. After a tractor rally took a violent turn on January 26 in the national capital, the government blocked the Internet in Delhi, and deployed heavy security at its borders. It also built concrete walls with cemented nails to prevent protestors from entering the capital. As expected, many trolls started attacking the popstar and some even questioned Rihanna’s religion. Many of them also <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/is-rihanna-muslim-indians-are-googling-pop-stars-religion-after-her-tweet-on-farmers-protest-3382226.html">Googl</a>ed to find out if she was a Muslim. She was also viciously trolled on Twitter. Even several verified handles too joined in, calling her “uninformed”. The most famous of the dissenters include actress <keyword id="2201" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kangana-Ranaut">Kangana Ranaut</keyword> to cricketer Pragyan Ojha, and several BJP leaders. Here are a few of the hate tweets. <div type="twitter" handle="KanganaTeam" handlename="Kangana Ranaut" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1328363769848709120/RYB3_4Fd_normal.jpg" favoritecount="46491" retweetcount="12402" status="No one is talking about it because they are not farmers they are terrorists who are trying to divide India, so that… https://t.co/Auc9D13Ndd" createdat="1612283175000" id="1356640083546406913"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="pragyanojha" handlename="Pragyan Ojha" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1353347699236474880/m6UNcHEX_normal.jpg" favoritecount="24721" retweetcount="4743" status="@rihanna My country is proud of our farmers and knows how important they are, I trust it will be addressed soon. We… https://t.co/sTKJ5PRHpF" createdat="1612296884000" id="1356697584291639296"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="Gajjusay" handlename="Gajendra Chauhan" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1328022728696238081/DAfovev3_normal.jpg" favoritecount="1356" retweetcount="168" status="@rihanna Mind your own business. This is my country. Don't dare to our internal matter." createdat="1612323773000" id="1356810363199610880"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="pranavmahajan" handlename="Pranav Mahajan" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1050452272713486343/wWjP-EC1_normal.jpg" favoritecount="19707" retweetcount="2066" status="@rihanna Because one should not talk about an issue about which one has no knowledge." createdat="1612284172000" id="1356644264147525632"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="ManojTiwariMP" handlename="Manoj Tiwari" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1290840967772172289/ENC7mLTc_normal.jpg" favoritecount="10494" retweetcount="2993" status="where have you been @rihanna ...we really need to talk about this #Rihanna https://t.co/RhEEBGR4Oh" createdat="1612291354000" id="1356674388171571205"></div> In spite of all the trolling, Rihanna’s tweet shined global spotlight on India and its handling of the protest. #Farmersprotest started trending in the US after the singer tweeted about it. An outpouring of support also came in from various leaders, and many Indians thanked the star for lending her voice to the protest. <div type="twitter" handle="Lilly" handlename="Lilly // #LateWithLilly" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1347297092260175873/NUs4WMRd_normal.jpg" favoritecount="21315" retweetcount="6328" status="Yes! Thank you so much @rihanna. This is a humanity issue! #IStandWithFarmers and this narrative is TIRED. ❤️ https://t.co/H0h5EM7mNW" createdat="1612287032000" id="1356656260297281537"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="ClaudiaWebbe" handlename="Claudia Webbe MP" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1250040438687440896/BOlbgGQR_normal.jpg" favoritecount="7583" retweetcount="3337" status="Solidarity to the Indian Farmers. Thank you Rihanna. In an era where political leadership is lacking we are gra… https://t.co/fWmCk8mFcD" createdat="1612298464000" id="1356704210004377602"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="KhaledBeydoun" handlename="Khaled Beydoun" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1355692134855290881/-jD7Tsw9_normal.jpg" favoritecount="6043" retweetcount="1708" status="Salute to Rihanna for shedding light on the #FarmersProtest in #India - she is bringing needed attention to a movem… https://t.co/0Dlli2HINl" createdat="1612290453000" id="1356670607644098562"></div> Meanwhile, India’s parliament has broken out in chaos and disruptions multiple times over the farmers protest.

Rihanna tweets about farmers protests in India — trolls launch her into another ‘Disturbia’

<ul><li>International pop star Rihanna took the country by surprise as she tweeted about the ongoing <keyword id="45092" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="farmers">farmers</keyword> protest.</li><li>India’s Ministry of External Affairs has since called the tweets by foreign individuals sensational and irresponsible.</li><li>Bollywood stars like <keyword id="2823" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Akshay-Kumar">Akshay Kumar</keyword>, <keyword id="6354714" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ajay-devgn">Ajay Devgn</keyword>, Karan Johar have taken to Twitter asking people not to “fall for any propaganda”.</li></ul>On Wednesday morning, <keyword id="44734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Government">Indian government</keyword> came under global scrutiny for the way it is handling the ongoing farmers’ protest. This was after American pop star Rihanna tweeted about the agitation. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that tweets by foreign individuals are “sensational and irresponsible”. “Before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken. The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible,” said the ministry in a statement. <div type="twitter" handle="MEAIndia" handlename="Anurag Srivastava" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1247071225853116416/YKoQLdhs_normal.jpg" favoritecount="33284" retweetcount="14792" status="#IndiaTogether #IndiaAgainstPropaganda https://t.co/TfdgXfrmNt https://t.co/gRmIaL5Guw" createdat="1612334138000" id="1356853835361259520"></div> Thereon, #IndiaTogether has been trending on Twitter. Bollywood celebrities, many of whom had not yet spoken about the protest; and political leaders have been urging people not “fall for any propaganda” under the hashtag. That includes A-list celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, Ajay Devgn and more. <div type="twitter" handle="akshaykumar" handlename="Akshay Kumar" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1263033005758545921/4K0V7QQi_normal.jpg" favoritecount="35708" retweetcount="11122" status="Farmers constitute an extremely important part of our country. And the efforts being undertaken to resolve their is… https://t.co/n1MNxCLNLK" createdat="1612341455000" id="1356884526815842304"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="karanjohar" handlename="Karan Johar" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1262634699970588672/fqhw05nc_normal.jpg" favoritecount="6237" retweetcount="1477" status="We live in turbulent times and the need of the hour is prudence and patience at every turn. Let us together, make e… https://t.co/Giv4UicTIJ" createdat="1612344540000" id="1356897467850059780"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="ajaydevgn" handlename="Ajay Devgn" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1270587097389256704/9lJqfniR_normal.jpg" favoritecount="54959" retweetcount="17346" status="Don’t fall for any false propaganda against India or Indian policies. Its important to stand united at this hour w/… https://t.co/lemyr7niqs" createdat="1612343368000" id="1356892548837502977"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="SunielVShetty" handlename="Suniel Shetty" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1289533705392779264/evRJZyto_normal.jpg" favoritecount="18500" retweetcount="6921" status="We must always take a comprehensive view of things, as there is nothing more dangerous than half truth.… https://t.co/N4JxB9a4U3" createdat="1612340470000" id="1356880396537876481"></div> The government has also <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/government-issues-notice-twitter-remove-contents-related-narendra-modi-farmer-genocide-1765493-2021-02-03">reportedly </a>issued a notice to Twitter, asking it to take a tough stand against "offensive" hashtags and handles regarding the farmers protest. They were probably referring to the hashtag #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide. “This is a motivated campaign to abuse, inflame and create tension in society on unsubstantiated grounds… The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology [Meity] had passed an interim order dated 31.01.2021 as a matter of emergency blocking 257 URLs and one hashtag under section 69 A of the Information Technology Act, 2000… Incitement to genocide is not a freedom of speech. It is a threat to law and order,” an <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/government-issues-notice-twitter-remove-contents-related-narendra-modi-farmer-genocide-1765493-2021-02-03">India Today </a>report quoted the statement from the Ministry. Rihanna’s tweet brought global attention to the protest in India, which has been going on for months now. Meanwhile, many Indians have poured in support for the pop star. In fact, Indian actor Diljit Dosanjh has even released a new song dedicated to Rihanna. <div type="twitter" handle="diljitdosanjh" handlename="DILJIT DOSANJH" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1111236736334614529/4JOk7VUl_normal.jpg" favoritecount="16820" retweetcount="3583" status="#RIRI #Rihanna ✊🏽https://t.co/SkyOBC8lLx@Thisizintense @raj_ranjodh" createdat="1612339541000" id="1356876497403801602"></div> Farmers have been seeking a rollback of the country’s new farm laws. After a tractor rally took a violent turn on January 26 in the national capital, the government blocked the Internet in Delhi, and deployed heavy security at its borders. It also built concrete walls with cemented nails to prevent protestors from entering the capital. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/rihanna-tweets-about-farmers-protests-in-india-faces-vicious-trolling-on-twitter/articleshow/80664477.cms">Rihanna tweets about farmers protests in India — trolls launch her into another ‘Disturbia’</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-foreign-ministry-calls-rihanna-greta-thunberg-tweet-sensational-and-irresponsible/articleshow/80665961.cms">India’s Foreign Ministry calls Rihanna, Greta Thunberg's tweet sensational and irresponsible</a>

It’s Bollywood versus Rihanna; Indian government brings its own stars to counter the popstar’s tweet about farmers' protest

India on Wednesday reacted sharply to comments by foreign celebrities and others, including pop singer <keyword id="3318" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rihanna">Rihanna</keyword> on <keyword id="45092" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="farmers">farmers</keyword>' protests, saying a very small section of farmers in parts of the country have some reservations about the farm reforms and a proper understanding of the issue is needed before rushing to comment on the agitation. "The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible," the <keyword id="6374106" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="ministry-of-external-affairs">Ministry of External Affairs</keyword> said in a curt statement. The MEA's reaction came after several international celebrities and activists including American pop singer Rihanna and Swedish climate activist <keyword id="7425525" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Greta-Thunberg">Greta Thunberg</keyword> tweeted about the farmers' protest in India. The ministry also said the Parliament of India passed the reformist legislation relating to the agricultural sector, and noted that some of the vested interest groups have tried to mobilise international support against India. "We would like to emphasise that these protests must be seen in the context of India's democratic ethos and polity, and the efforts of the government and the concerned farmer groups to resolve the impasse," the statement said. Asserting that "before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken", the ministry said the "temptation of sensationalist" social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is "neither accurate nor responsible".

India’s Foreign Ministry calls Rihanna, Greta Thunberg's tweet sensational and irresponsible

Mumbai, Veteran actor <keyword id="13196" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Susan-Sarandon">Susan Sarandon</keyword> on Saturday extended her support to the ongoing farmers agitation and said she stands in solidarity with the protesters. The "Thelma &amp; Louise" star is the latest international celebrity to back the protest, after a tweet by pop star <keyword id="3318" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rihanna">Rihanna</keyword> triggered a wave of support for the protesting farmers by a number of global personalities, activists and politicians. The 74-year-old actor took to Twitter and shared a news report by The New York Times, headlined, "Why Are Farmers Protesting in India?" "Standing in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India. Read about who they are and why they're protesting below," Sarandon wrote. Swedish teen climate activist <keyword id="7425525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Greta-Thunberg">Greta Thunberg</keyword>, Meena Harris, an American lawyer and niece of US Vice President <keyword id="180909" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kamala-Harris">Kamala Harris</keyword>, actor <keyword id="10714746" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amanda-Cerni">Amanda Cerni</keyword>, singers <keyword id="45487" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jay-Sean">Jay Sean</keyword>, Dr Zeus and former adult star <keyword id="2968223" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mia-Khalifa">Mia Khalifa</keyword> have also supported the protesting farmers. The government had criticised the tweets by Rihanna and other celebrities, saying facts must be ascertained before people rushing to comment on the issue, calling it "neither accurate nor responsible". Tens of thousands of farmers have been protesting at three border points on the outskirts of Delhi demanding a complete repeal of the three farm laws. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/how-big-is-indias-debt-and-should-it-be-a-worry/articleshow/80688623.cms">How big is India's debt and should it be a worry?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/heres-why-you-arent-being-able-to-apply-for-brookfield-reit-ipo-through-zerodha-groww-angel-broking-and-other-stockbroking-apps/articleshow/80686457.cms">Here's why you aren't being able to apply for Brookfield REIT IPO through Zerodha, Groww and other stockbroking apps</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/analysts-explain-why-indigo-paints-shares-fell-with-a-thud-just-like-burger-king-and-mrs-bectors-and-what-to-do-with-it-now/articleshow/80704864.cms">Indigo Paints joins the league of Burger King and Bector's — frenzied IPOs that fizzled out</a>

After Rihanna and Greta Thunberg, Hollywood veteran Susan Sarandon comes forward in support of farmers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Authorities accused Disha Ravi, 21, of spreading a toolkit to support <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>'s farmers' protest.</li><li>Delhi Police claimed Ravi shared the document with <keyword id="7425525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Greta-Thunberg">Greta Thunberg</keyword>. </li><li>Ravi's arrest sparked global outrage as <keyword id="6354896" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="protests">protests</keyword> continue over new Indian agricultural laws.</li></ul>A 21-year-old <keyword id="6375923" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate">climate</keyword> activist was jailed in India after authorities accused her of circulating a document with information on how to support the <keyword id="828975" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="farmers-protests">farmers' protests</keyword>.Disha Ravi's arrest comes after the document was shared on February 4 by climate activist Greta Thunberg, 18, who told her millions of Twitter followers they could use the toolkit "if you want to help."The unsigned <a href="https://cryptpad.fr/pad/#/2/pad/view/ehTz+drfKPwi4fP5dn0mivwVCKhwNe7OD1YHDiBUj0Y/">document</a> has circulated on an encrypted website, but Indian authorities claimed in tweets Sunday that Ravi edited the toolkit. Delhi Police confirmed Ravi's arrest in a tweet Sunday, claiming that she had shared the document with Thunberg. Police accused Ravi and collaborators of making the document to "spread disaffection against the Indian State."Thousands of farmers in India have been protesting in New Delhi, the nation's capital, over new agricultural laws imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. Farmer unions have called the three laws, which were passed by India's Parliament in September 2020, "anti-farmer laws," as they would end protections that have "for decades protected them from the vagaries of the free market," <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/15/world/asia/climate-activist-jailed-india.html">The New York Times reported</a>.The farmers' protests reached new <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="international">international</keyword> attention when <a href="https://twitter.com/rihanna/status/1356625889602199552">Rihanna</a> shared a <a href="https://t.co/obmIlXhK9S?amp=1">CNN article</a> with her 101.8 million Twitter followers on February 2, writing, "why aren't we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest." <a href="https://t.co/obmIlXhK9S?amp=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a>Twitter said on February 10 that it had received "several separate blocking orders" from the Indian government to remove accounts of journalists, <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> outlets, politicians, and political commentators who had supported the farmers' protest. The platform said it would not block those accounts, but that it had suspended 500 India-based accounts who were "engaging in clear examples of platform manipulation and spam," as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-takes-down-accounts-india-farmers-protests-modi-pressure-2021-2">Insider's Isobel Asher Hamilton reported.</a><div type="image" title="disha ravi india farmers protests" height="575" width="766" msid="80931513" hostid="261"></div>Delhi Police claimed that the document was a call to "wage economic, social, cultural and regional war against India."But the document's guidance only includes using certain hashtags on social media, contacting local representatives, signing petitions, and organizing or participating in the protests. "This is not just about one country and its oppressed peoples, it's about common people across the world having the opportunity to be self-sufficient, feel secure about providing for their families, and live well," the document reads. Several Indian politicians also denounced Ravi's arrest. Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, called the arrest an "unprecedented attack on Democracy" in a Sunday tweet. "Supporting our farmers is not a crime," he said. Jairam Ramesh, a member of the Parliament of India, said he had "full solidarity" with Ravi. "This is unwarranted harassment and intimidation," he said of the arrest. The news of Ravi's arrest also sparked outrage worldwide. Poet Rupi Kaur said in a tweet that the "arrest is alarming and the world needs to pay attention." Meena Harris, an author and the niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris, told followers to "ask why activists are being targeted and silenced by the government." A Change.org <a href="https://www.change.org/p/prime-minister-of-india-immediately-release-disha-ravi-stop-targeting-india-s-youth-and-environmental-activists?recruiter=false&amp;utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&amp;utm_term=share_petition&amp;recruited_by_id=28a20b60-6f4f-11eb-a995-09af66ad4addeb-a995-09af66ad4add">petition</a> advocating for Ravi's release has reached more than 11,000 signatures as of Monday.

21-year-old activist accused of making farmers' protest toolkit and sharing it with Greta Thunberg arrested in India

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>'s government has slammed Western celebrities for backing the <keyword id="45092" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="farmers">farmers</keyword> protesting in New Delhi.</li><li>Farmers say the government's proposed reforms to agricultural laws will leave them poorer.</li><li>Pro-government crowds burned photos of Rihanna and Greta Thunberg on Thursday.</li></ul>The Indian government has launched an attack on Western celebrities, with some supporters burning their photos, for publicly supporting mass protests by farmers.In late November 2020, some 300,000 farmers marched on New Delhi and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-closed-farmers-occupy-cities-in-revolt-against-market-reforms-2020-12">set up camp to protest a planned reform of agriculture laws</a> that they say will see them lose their income.Many have joined them - with the crowd size <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/indian-farmer-strike-largest-protest-history-us-world-pay-attention-2020-12">reaching 250 million</a> at its peak - and the farmers remain unmoving.This week, the farmers' cause was taken up by several US and European celebrities, prompting anger from the government and its supporters."The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible," India's external affairs ministry <a href="https://mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/33456/Press_Statement_on_recent_comments_by_foreign_individuals_and_entities_on_the_farmers_protests">said in a statement Wednesday.</a><div type="image" title="Indian Farmers Protests" height="1744" width="3488" msid="80722099" hostid="261"></div>The comments came hours after celebrities including the climate activist Greta Thunberg, singer Rihanna, and author Meena Harris - who is also the niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris - expressed support for the farmers."We stand in solidarity with farmers protests in India," Thunberg <a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1357054451769606147">tweeted</a> Tuesday. The next day, Thunberg tweeted <a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1357054451769606147">a "toolkit"</a> for supporting the farmers, including how to sign petitions and which hashtags to use.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/rihanna-tweets-about-farmers-protests-in-india-faces-vicious-trolling-on-twitter/articleshow/80664477.cms">Rihanna</a> on Tuesday tweeted an article about the protest, writing: "Why aren't we talking about this?!"The same day, Meena Harris <a href="https://twitter.com/meenaharris/status/1356747965713371138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1356747965713371138%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Findia-government-attack-us-celebrities-backing-farmer-protests-burn-effigies-2021-221-2">tweeted</a>: "We ALL should be outraged by India's internet shutdowns and paramilitary violence against farmer protesters."Harris was referring to the government's <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/01/asia/india-internet-cut-farmers-intl-hnk/index.html">decision last Sunday to once again shut down the internet</a> around New Delhi amid the protests.On Thursday, pro-government protesters in New Delhi also burned photos of Thunberg, Rihanna, and Harris, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/04/greta-thunberg-effigies-burned-in-delhi-after-tweets-on-farmers-protests">The Guardian reported</a>.Harris <a href="https://twitter.com/meenaharris/status/1357376550803369986">tweeted</a> in response to a photo of her likeness being burned: "I spoke out in support of human rights for Indian farmers, and look at the response."The NBA player Kyle Kuzma has also <a href="https://twitter.com/kylekuzma/status/1357009721090138112">tweeted</a> about the protests, while the NFL player JuJu Smith Schuster <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamJuJu/status/1357048037302960129">tweeted</a> that he had donated $10,000 to help the farmer obtain medical supplies.A number of Indian celebrities have also publicly supported their government, with the <a href="https://theprint.in/india/after-rihanna-greta-thunberg-support-farm-protests-kangana-calls-farmers-terrorists/597806/">actress Kangana Ranaut</a>, describing the farmers as terrorists, and the Indian cricket player Pragyan Ojha <a href="https://twitter.com/pragyanojha/status/1356697584291639296">tweeting to Rihanna</a>: "We don't need an outsider poking her nose in our internal matters!"Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-campaign-against-republicans-voted-for-impeachment-2021-2">Trump is plotting a campaign revenge tour targeting GOP defectors after Senate impeachment trial</a><h2>Why are the protests happening?</h2>The Indian government wants to liberalize the agriculture industry - in which 40% of Indians work - and deregulate crop pricing.Farmers' unions say the proposed laws <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/27/world/asia/india-farmer-protest.html">would make them poorer</a> and leave them exposed to exploitation from large corporations. They also say <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/were-farmers-consulted-before-farm-laws-no-record-says-rti-response-2345287">they were not consulted</a> about the new plans.The demonstrations <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/25/world/asia/india-farmers-protests-delhi.html">have often turned violent</a>, with <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-55899754">the police erecting barbed wire barricades</a> and <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/police-use-barbed-wire-spikes-trenches-to-cut-off-protest-sites/article33734304.ece">digging trenches</a> around parts of New Delhi.On January 27, a number of farmers broke into the city's historic Red Fort, and the government called the military eject them. Three hundred police officers were also injured in the city that day, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-55817628">the BBC added</a>.Some farmers <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-farmers-protest-law-suicide-epidemic-2021-1">have also said that the proposed laws are worsening the suicide epidemic</a> sweeping their industry, as Insider reported last month.The farmers' efforts have had some impact, but how the fight will end remains unclear.Late last month, India's Supreme Court ruled to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/12/world/asia/india-farmers-protest-court-law.html">suspend the new laws</a> from being imposed last month, but farmer are <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-55615482">refusing to back down</a> until the laws are completely repealed - a move that the government has already vowed not to do.

The Indian government and its supporters are attacking Western celebrities for supporting the farmers' protests

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> said it would defend "freedom of expression" as Indian authorities requested bans. </li><li>But activists and journalists were subject to temporary bans and limitations of their accounts.</li><li>One said Twitter "could stand up to the president of their country but were getting bullied here."</li></ul>Twitter is in a predicament in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>. It is caught between the demands of an increasingly authoritarian government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a global outcry - spurred by tweets from <a href="https://twitter.com/rihanna/status/1356625889602199552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1356625889602199552%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fworld-asia-india-559148584858">singer Rihanna</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1356694884615340037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1356694884615340037%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hindustantimes.com%2Findia-news%2Fafter-rihanna-greta-thunberg-extends-support-to-farmers-protest-101612319959694.htmlhtml">climate activist Greta Thunberg</a> - to protect the tens of thousands of farmers who have gathered in Delhi to protest new agricultural laws.As it wrestles with what to do under intense scrutiny, journalists and activists have been among those caught up in the standoff.The Caravan, a prestigious magazine that <a href="https://caravanmagazine.in/politics/the-bjp-and-delhi-police-hand-in-the-delhi-violence">publishes confrontational, longform journalism</a> reflects its predicament. Just one week after Twitter censored the Caravan's accounts at the Indian Government's request, the magazine received <a href="https://thewire.in/media/caravan-magazine-wins-louis-m-lyons-award-for-its-indispensable-reporting-on-india">a prestigious award from Harvard University's Nieman Foundation, </a>that praised its "unique and uncompromising coverage of the erosion of human rights, social justice, and democracy."The standoff grew as worldwide interest intensified. <a href="https://blog.twitter.com/en_in/topics/company/2020/twitters-response-indian-government.html">Twitter issued a statement </a>on February 10 saying it had banned those who violated its rules but only "temporarily complied" with the Indian Government's specific requests for bans, later restoring those accounts.It added it restricted some accounts but only within India."In keeping with our principles of defending protected speech and freedom of expression, we have not taken any action on accounts that consist of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians," Twitter said.Caravan's executive editor Vinod Jose told Insider that the block, which stopped people in India accessing its Hindi and English language accounts, felt "targeted" as the publication has aggressively criticized the government.But he said he was surprised that Twitter had briefly complied given it had <a href="https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/suspension.html">permanently deleted</a> Donald Trump's account for inciting the Capitol Hill riots three weeks earlier.<div type="image" title="Vinod Jose" height="1887" width="2516" msid="81211244" hostid="261"></div>"My first thought was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/twitter-trump-banned-bolsonaro-modi-india-brazil-populists-2021-1">they could stand up to the president of their country</a> but were getting bullied here," he added.He added the ban helped generate publicity for the magazine, which has since launched <a href="https://twitter.com/thecaravanindia/status/1362669498185093120">a subscription drive</a> fronted by Man Booker Prize-winning novelist Arundhati Roy.As well as requesting Twitter bans, the Indian authorities have also moved against prominent voices because of their tweets.On January 30, Jose and six other journalists, including top news anchor Rajdeep Sardesai, had complaints filed against them accusing them of criminal sedition for tweeting about the alleged fatal shooting of a protestor, whose death was later revealed to have been an accident. The charge can carry a sentence of<a href="https://devgan.in/ipc/section/124A/"> life imprisonment</a>. Their arrests <a href="https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/sc-stays-arrest-shashi-tharoor-rajdeep-sardesai-and-others-sedition-case-143067">were subsequently stayed by</a> the top court on February 9. This was not an isolated incident. A freelance journalist <a href="https://thewire.in/rights/prashant-kanojia-arrested-tweets-uttar-pradesh-police-transit-remand">spent a month</a> in jail last year over a tweet that authorities said had disrupted communal harmony. On February 15, police charged a 22-year-old <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/climate-activist-disha-ravi-arrested-for-being-the-toolkit-editor-of-indias-farmers-protests/articleshow/80920349.cms">climate activist</a> with sedition for circulating a toolkit that Thunberg had tweeted.Inji Pennu, a Kerala-born tech blogger who lives in Florida and monitors <keyword id="6354632" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="social-media">social media</keyword> trends in India, told Insider it would be a "privilege" for anyone to "post on a social media platform and escape without having a complaint slapped against you."Political commentator <a href="https://twitter.com/sanjukta">Sanjukta Basu</a> also had her Twitter targeted on February 1, when she woke up to see her account was invisible inside India. She told Insider she initially thought a tweet about <a href="https://www.newslaundry.com/2021/02/10/arrested-before-he-could-perform-how-munawar-faruqui-spent-a-month-in-jail">the arrest of a stand up comic</a> must have prompted it. But she deduced from media reports that her account was blocked because she had used the hashtag #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide, that spread the false claim Modi was planning mass murder.Basu told Insider her tweet didn't endorse the claim but was "examining Twitter's illogical trends and had listed some trending hashtags."She believed her vocal criticism of Modi's government had prompted the ban. After her account was restored, she tweeted about the surge in followers she had, saying: "More they bully you, more you grow."Asked how the episode left her feeling about Twitter, she said: "They stood up to the Indian government because of a regime change in the US. It doesn't want to be seen siding with an authoritarian government in a developing country."Raheel Khurseed, a journalist who was Twitter India's head of Politics, Policy and Government from 2014 to 2018, agreed Joe Biden replacing Donald Trump meant there was now a US President who was "ideologically more aligned with Twitter's position on free speech"."The fact that [the Biden administration] would want to hold the same standards elsewhere in the world gives Twitter some amount of immunity as it tries to apply the same standards elsewhere in the world," he told Insider. After Twitter's public statement of defiance, Ravi Shankar, the justice and technology minister, told India's parliament that laws would be tightened to make social media companies more compliant. "We will not tolerate the misuse of social media for fake news," he said."I politely remind the companies, whether it is Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or WhatsApp or anyone, they are free to work in India, do business, but they need to respect the Indian Constitution."Twitter reportedly met with Indian Government officials earlier this month and had taken down 97% of the accounts authorities had requested. The <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/better-communication-with-govt-twitter-to-restructure-india-team-7184892/">Indian Express reported</a> it told authorities it would restructure its India team so there were more senior managers in the country to handle compliance issues.Khurseed said it was an "interesting moment in Twitter's journey in India"."The government, of course, has its own ideas about how these platforms need to run and whether they implement that on a policy level," he said, adding it "remains to be seen" what will change.He said Twitter might make new appointments and restructure its team but added there were discussions since his time there working about "making policy teams immune to government interference".He added: "I think this is the right time to restart those conversations."Twitter declined to comment, referring Insider to its February 10 statement.

You Searched For "rihanna tweet on farmers" and got 7 results

Rihanna tweets about farmers protests in India — trolls launch her into another ‘Disturbia’

BI India Bureau

It’s Bollywood versus Rihanna; Indian government brings its own stars to counter the popstar’s tweet about farmers' protest

BI India Bureau

India’s Foreign Ministry calls Rihanna, Greta Thunberg's tweet sensational and irresponsible

PTI

After Rihanna and Greta Thunberg, Hollywood veteran Susan Sarandon comes forward in support of farmers

PTI

21-year-old activist accused of making farmers' protest toolkit and sharing it with Greta Thunberg arrested in India

Rachel E. Greenspan

The Indian government and its supporters are attacking Western celebrities for supporting the farmers' protests

Bill Bostock

Twitter 'stood up' to Trump but was 'bullied' in India, says a journalist who was caught up in the platform's standoff with Modi

Nilanjana Bhowmick

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