New Delhi (CU)_A day after the Indian Foreign Ministry slammed the comments made by pop icon Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg in support of the farmers’ protests, the Biden administration for the first time commented on the same, expressing its support for peaceful demonstrations and freedom of expression.
A spokesperson to the US embassy in India said the United States encourages that any differences between the parties be resolved through dialogue. Referring to the Internet restrictions at the protest sites along the Delhi border, the spokesperson noted that “unhindered access to information, including the Internet, is fundamental to the freedom of expression and a hallmark of a thriving democracy.”
A few hours later, New Delhi responded to these comments by drawing parallels between the violence that took place at the Red Fort in New Delhi on India’s Republic Day to the Capitol Hill “insurrection” on January 6, saying these incidents were being addressed according to respective local laws of the two countries.
“India and the United States are both vibrant democracies with shared values. The incidents of violence and vandalism at the historic Red Fort on 26 January have evoked similar sentiments and reactions in India as did the incidents on the Capitol Hill on 6 January are being addressed as per our respective local laws,” spokesperson to the Foreign Ministry in New Delhi, Anurag Srivastava, said.
Prior to the comments made by the US Embassy spokesperson, the US State Department also expressed similar views on the matter claiming that Washington “welcomed steps that would improve the efficiency of India’s markets and attract greater private sector investment”, and these remarks were seen by New Delhi as the Biden administration “acknowledging” the steps taken the Indian government towards agricultural reforms.
“It is important to see such comments in the context in which they were made, and in their entirety,” Srivastava noted. “As you can see, the US state department has acknowledged steps being taken by India towards agricultural reforms.”
Addressing the matter of the suspension of access to internet at the protest sites, the Ministry spokesperson claimed that it was a “temporary measure” taken in order to prevent further violence.
Although the Foreign Ministry would not usually respond to remarks made by private individuals, however, the Ministry departed from that norm by reacting to the tweets of Rihanna and Thunberg, since the Indian government is of the view that it must take into account “social media realities, where influencers tend to shape the opinions of many”.
“Past governments did not deal with such a highly active social media zone, and it is important for the government to respond to criticism, irrespective of the source, government or non-government,” a senior government functionary said.
