New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday said no foreign government has given support to the agitation of Indian farmers against three farm laws.
Replying to the questions by Members of Parliament Syed Imtiaz Jaleel and Asaduddin Owaisi in the Lok Sabha, on naming the countries where such protest took place, V Muraleedharan, Minister of State (MoS) in MEA, said that in Canada, UK, USA, and in few European countries, protests by a few motivated Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) on issues related to the Indian farm laws have been reported. “No foreign government has given support to the agitation of Indian farmers against three bills passed by the Indian Parliament. In Canada, UK, USA, and in few European countries, protests by a few motivated PIO on issues related to the Indian farm laws have been reported,” read Muraleedharan’s reply.
While highlighting, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s comment on issues related to farmers in India, MoS said,” Government of Canada has welcomed the Government of India’s
commitment to ongoing dialogue with the farmers to discuss issues of concern.”
Replying to a separate question on whether the government has taken up the matter with these countries warning them not to interfere in the internal matters of India,
Muraleedharan said that “we have taken up this matter with the Canadian authorities both in Ottawa and New Delhi and conveyed that such comments pertaining to the internal affairs of India are unwarranted, unacceptable and would damage India-Canada bilateral relations.”
This comes after farmers protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Subscribe to our channels on YouTube & Telegram
Why news media is in crisis & How you can fix it
India needs free, fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism even more as it faces multiple crises.
But the news media is in a crisis of its own. There have been brutal layoffs and pay-cuts. The best of journalism is shrinking, yielding to crude prime-time spectacle.
ThePrint has the finest young reporters, columnists and editors working for it. Sustaining journalism of this quality needs smart and thinking people like you to pay for it. Whether you live in India or overseas, you can do it here.