With international pop sensation Rihanna trying to bring global attention to the ongoing farmers’ protest in India, various cricket personalities, including Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli joined the 'India together' drive by leading the call for unity.
"Let us all stay united in this hour of disagreements. Farmers are an integral part of our country and I'm sure an amicable solution will be found between all parties to bring about peace and move forward together. #IndiaTogether," Virat tweeted on Wednesday night.
The Indian skipper was then also asked about the farmers protest on Thursday, 4 February, when he held a pre-match press conference for the Test series-opener against England.
"Are farmers finding a place in dressing room conversations?” asked one reporter.
Virat replied, “Any issue that is present in the country, we do discuss it, we do talk about it. Everyone has expressed what they had to about the issue and that’s about it. We briefly spoke about it in the team meeting as well and we carried on discussing the team’s plans and the gameplans for the match.”
Rihanna on Tuesday night posted a news link on India's farmers' protest and tweeted, "why aren't we talking about this?!" It triggered widespread outrage from Indians questioning Rihanna's credentials and knowledge about the country's internal matters.
Apart from Rihanna, Lebanese-American former adult star Mia Khalifa and environmental activist Greta Thunberg had also expressed their concern for the protesting farmers in India.
In response, the Indian government described them as part of "vested interest groups" and their support as "sensationalist social media hashtags and comments" which are "neither accurate nor responsible."
The Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement saying: "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. The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible," the statement said.
Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted contentious farm laws.
The laws, however, have been put on hold by the Supreme Court.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)