Popular artist Rihanna tweeted on Feb. 2 about the farmers' protests in New Delhi that have been going for 71 days, asking "why aren't we talking about this?" A day later, young climate activist Greta Thunberg took to Twitter to extend her support to farmers in India. A raging battle erupted on social media following these tweets and the hashtags #IndiaAgainstPropaganda and #IndiaTogether began to trend.
Many took offence to the fact that these international personalities commented on India's internal issues without any knowledge of the matter.
The official spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs tweeted a statement, saying 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."
Union Ministers from Amit Shah to Nirmala Sitharaman retweeted the statement, with the hashtag #IndiaAgainstPropaganda.
Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, along with other players, also extended his support to the farm laws and the government, saying that "Indians know India and should decide for India".
Bharat Ratna singer Lata Mangeshkar also tweeted a statement.
Bollywood celebrities did not stay behind in the campaign, with actors like Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, Ajay Devgn and Suniel Shetty tweeting in support of #IndiaAgainstPropaganda.
Among the Bollywood celebrities who reacted to Rihanna's tweet was Kangana Ranaut, who expressed her disapproval in a series of tweets.
The barrage of tweets was not one-sided. Many tweeted against the backlash faced by Rihanna and Greta, saying that a couple of tweets should not warrant such a reaction. This included some celebrities as well.
Actress Richa Chaddha retweeted Greta Thunberg's tweet.