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Criticism over farm laws irks India, summons British envoy while accusing UK of interfering in its internal affairs

New Delhi: Unable to bear outside criticism, India’s Foreign Ministry has summoned the High Commissioner of United Kingdom (UK) over what it called unwarranted and tendentious discussion of India’s newly passed agricultural reforms in the British parliament.

Published

3 years ago

Mar 10, 2021 08:40 PM

Web Desk

Criticism over farm laws irks India, summons British envoy while accusing UK of interfering in its internal affairs

According to details, New Delhi has also accused British parliamentarians of interfering in its internal affairs after they criticized India’s farm laws, which generated countrywide protests by farmers who say the legislation is beneficial large private buyers at their expense.

The discussion among UK legislators came in response to a petition initiated by Maidenhead Liberal Democrat leader Gurch Singh, who is also an Indian native by roots.

His petition ‘Urge the Indian government to ensure safety of protesters’ press freedom’ received more than 100,000 signatures on parliament’s petition website.

Following the move, India’s foreign ministry summoned British envoy Alexander Ellis and terme3d the debate as ‘a gross interference in the politics of another democratic country’.

In November last year, after Indian government passed three farm laws using the governing Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) majority in Parliament, farmer unions and organizations mainly hailing from Punjab and Haryana, erupted in anger.

On India’s Republic Day, thousands of protesting farmers broke barricades and entered the Indian capital in the form of a tractor rally. The violent clashes between police and demonstrators leaving five dead and hundreds of others injured. Some demonstrators stormed Delhi's historic Red Fort and occupied it until police pushed them back.

The farmers are of the opinion that the law passed by Indian Parliament last September will lead to commercialization of agriculture, making farmers extremely vulnerable to corporate greed. They think that the move would also impact their earnings.

The protesting unions of farmers have also announced a foot march to Parliament on February 01, when the annual Budget is scheduled to be presented.

The farmers’ protest movement has become one of the biggest challenges faced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi since assuming power in 2014 and has gotten international support.