Centre hardens stand to counter growing criticism from foreign nations on protest by farmers

New Delhi stuck to its stand that remarks by foreign leaders on the farmers' protests amounted to 'unacceptable interference' in 'internal affairs' of India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has hardened stance to counter growing criticism from foreign nations on police action on agitating farmers.

A total of 36 parliamentarians from the United Kingdom echoed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other ministers and lawmakers of the nation to express solidarity with the protesters.

A spokesperson of the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that Government of India should allow farmers to protest as it was their right.

Also read: Modi government unleashes campaign to highlight benefits of farm laws

Even so, New Delhi stuck to its position that the comments by foreign leaders on the protests by the farmers amounted to 'unacceptable interference' in the 'internal affairs' of India.

A source in the national capital said that the government would never hold any discussion with any foreign nation on internal affairs of India.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar may not take part in a virtual meeting on Covid-19 response to be chaired by Canadian Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne next week.

Although, Jaishankar had taken part in the last meeting convened by Champagne on November 3, which was also attended by Foreign Ministers of Italy, Brazil, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Singapore.

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However, he is likely to stay away from the next consultation, ostensibly as a mark of protest against 'unwarranted' remarks by Trudeau and his ministers.

New Delhi is also planning to send across a stern message to the United Kingdom, as British parliamentarians asked their Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to take up with the Modi government the issue, in a letter.

The UK MPs, who signed the letter, are mostly from the Labour Party, but included some from the Conservative Party and the Scottish National Party. The move was coordinated by Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi, a Sikh representing Slough in Berkshire at the UK House of Commons.

They wrote that the new laws introduced by the Centre had triggered widespread protests across India as the new legislations failed to ensure protection of the farmers from exploitation and fair prices for their produce.

Also read: Farmers' leaders go on 'maun vrat' in meeting; Centre proposes another meeting on Dec 9

"This is an issue of particular concern to Sikhs in the UK and those linked to Punjab, although it also heavily impacts on other Indian states. Many Sikhs and Punjabis have taken this matter up with their MPs as they are directly affected with family members and ancestral land in Punjab,” Dhesi and other British MPs wrote to Raab.

“Being famous as ‘India’s Bread Basket’, many Punjabis rely on farming for their existence. Therefore these new laws present the Punjabis with a huge problem with some describing it as a ‘Death Warrant’”.

They requested the British Foreign Secretary for a meeting and urged him to inform them about any discussion the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office might have had taken up with New Delhi, including during the recent visit of Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla to London.

Also Read: Union leaders threaten to walk out of Centre-farmers' meeting over demand to repeal farm laws

Dhesi and Preet Kaur Gill, another Sikh member of the UK House of Commons, earlier took to Twitter, criticizing police actions on the agitating farmers.

The majority of the farmers protesting against the new agricultural laws enacted by the Modi Government are Sikhs from Punjab and Haryana.

Canada’s High Commissioner to India, Nadir Patel, was on Friday summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs, where senior officials warned him about the serious damage the bilateral relations could suffer if the Prime Minister and other leaders of the North American nation continued to make comments on agitation by the farmers in India. Trudeau, however, ignored the sharp reaction from New Delhi and reiterated that Canada would always stand up for rights of protest.

Some organizations based in the UK have planned to hold a rally in London to express solidarity with the farmers protesting in India.

The Metropolitan Police of London, however, advised them to explore other options to express solidarity by other means in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, like doing it on an online forum or submitting a petition. The police also asked the organizers to strictly adhere to the restrictions imposed to contain the pandemic.