As Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau became the first international head of government to comment formally on the ongoing farmers’ protests in India, Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted that “India’s internal issue is not fodder for another nation’s politics.” Chaturvedi also urged prime minister Narendra Modi to resolve the issue before other countries too “find it okay to opine.”
“Dear @JustinTrudeau, touched by your concern but India’s internal issue is not fodder for another nation’s politics. Pls respect the courtesies that we always extend to other nations. Request PM @narendramodi Ji to resolve this impasse before other countries find it okay to opine,” the Sena Rajya Sabha MP tweeted on Tuesday.
Chaturvedi’s tweet came after Trudeau, in a Facebook video interaction on the occasion of Gurpurab or the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, on Tuesday said, “I would be remiss if I didn’t start also by recognising the news coming out of India about the protest by farmers. The situation is concerning and we’re all very worried about family and friends.”
“I know that’s a reality for many of you. Let me remind you, Canada will always be there to defend the right of peaceful protest. We believe in the importance of dialogue and that’s why we’ve reached out through multiple means directly to the Indian authorities to highlight our concerns,” he further said.
Canada is home to a large Indian diaspora, many of whom are Sikhs. Several members of Trudeau’s cabinet, including minister of national defence Harjit Sajjan, are Sikhs as well. In fact, Sajjan himself has commented on the farmers’ stir, calling the reports of protesters being “brutalised” in India as “very troubling.”
Lakhs of farmers, mostly from Punjab, have been protesting on the outskirts of Delhi against three agricultural laws passed by the Centre in September, for nearly a week now. The protesters, who braved a crackdown by the Haryana police in their journey to the national capital, say they plan to “gherao” the city for months if their demand to revoke the three “black laws” is not met.
