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Indian celebrities on Wednesday hit back at pop superstar Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg for making social media comments about farmers' protests.
As the Indian government and the farmers set out tougher positions in their two-month-old battle over new agriculture laws, sporting legend Sachin Tendulkar, national cricket team captain Virat Kohli and a host of Bollywood stars hit out at what the foreign ministry called "sensationalist" Twitter comments.
Rihanna (right), who has more than 100 million Twitter followers, wrote: "Why aren't we talking about this?!", with a link to a news story about an Internet blackout at the protest camps where thousands of farmers have been staying since November last year.
More than one million people retweeted, liked or commented on her tweet. Swedish activist Thunberg also tweeted a story about the blackout, saying: "We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India."
Ms Meena Harris, a niece of United States Vice-President Kamala Harris, whose mother was born in India, added her support.
The celebrity tweets triggered an online storm in India, where the protests have become the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he took power in 2014.
"The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible," said the foreign ministry.
Tendulkar, cricket's highest-scoring international player, led the Twitter riposte by Indian celebrities.
"India's sovereignty cannot be compromised. External forces can be spectators but not participants," he said.
Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, a supporter of Mr Modi, called the protesting farmers "terrorists" and Rihanna a "fool".
Actors and directors Anupam Kher, Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Karan Johar joined the fray against the "foreigners".
Kohli said: "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."
The government later threatened Twitter with "penal action" for unlocking 250 accounts and tweets on the farmers' protests that the American company had earlier blocked.
Twitter took the initial action following a government notice, but reversed course after a few hours. Among the accounts targeted was a prominent news magazine and others linked to farmer unions.
A senior government official told AFP that the blocking order had targeted content that had the hashtag "#ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide" and not general comments about the protests.
The Indian government has also faced criticism from media watchdogs over the arrest of a journalist covering the protests and investigations launched into five others - who face sedition charges.
Amid the war of words, the authorities stepped up pressure on the protest camps, putting up barbed wire fences around some and laying down spikes on roads to stop tractors from bringing reinforcements.
But, at a rally attended by an estimated 50,000 people in Haryana, farmers' leader Rakesh Tikait vowed to mobilise thousands more farmers for a protest in Delhi planned for Saturday.
AFP
"India's sovereignty cannot be compromised. External forces can be spectators but not participants. Indians know India and should decide for India. Let's remain united as a nation." - Sachin Tendulkar
