Suresh Raina urges people to not be perturbed by external forces after Rihanna's tweet

Hitting out at vested interests and their attempts to target India over the farmer protests, veteran cricketer Suresh Raina on Monday stated that while we as a nation had issues to resolve, it did not mean that we allowed ourselves to be divided by external forces. Asserting that everything could be resolved through amicable and unbiased dialogue, Raina urged citizens to not be perturbed by foreign entities. His statement came after international pop star Rihanna, climate activist Greta Thunberg, Lilly Singh, and others meddled in the farmers' movement fuelling international discourse over the matter. 

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MEA hits back

Hitting back at inaccurate and irresponsible comments, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday issued a statement and said that before rushing to comment on such matters, it urges that facts be ascertained and proper understanding of issues at hand be undertaken. "Temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible," the statement said. The ministry has also used hashtags - #IndiaTogether and #IndiaAgainstPropaganda. 

"We would like to emphasize that these protests must be seen in the context of India's democratic ethos and polity, and the efforts of the government and the concerned farmer groups to resolve the impasse," the statement said. 

After the External Ministry's official statement, many Indian celebrities and politicians spoke out against the unwarranted statements made by the Western artists such as Rihanna, urging the nation to stay united amid attempts to divide. 

The Centre has so far held 11 rounds of talks with the protesting farmers, with the top court of the country forming a panel to encourage further talks on the reforms. Moreover, just days ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended an olive branch to the community, assuring that he was only one-call away if they wanted to hold any further discussions on the three Farm Laws. 

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Read: Arnab Goswami: Don't Need Rihanna, Greta Or Lilly Singh Telling Us How To Run Our Country