Farmers' protest live updates: This ideological revolution doesn't run on WhatsApp, says Tikait

The farmers’ protests escalated into a full-blown war on social media cutting across international borders on Wednesday.US vice president Kamala Harris’s niece Meena Harris, climate activist Greta Thunberg, US House foreign affairs committee member Jim Costa, YouTuber Lilly Singh, poet Rupi Kaur, rapper Russ, former adult film star Mia Khalifa, UK MP Claudia Webbe and a host of others poured out in support of the ongoing farmers’ agitation after Rihanna’s one-line post on Tuesday.

Opposition parties on Wednesday asked the government to withdraw the contentious farm laws even as BJP members in Rajya Sabha said the legislations were passed after “extensive deliberations” and would benefit the farmers.BJP MP Bhubaneswar Kalita accused the opposition of raising the farm laws issue to disrupt House proceedings. Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad suggested that PM Narendra Modi himself make the announcement on repeal of the laws.

Two farmers from Sangrur district in Punjab have died during protests on the borders of the national capital in the last three days. A 55-year-old farmer from Cheema village in Sangrur district, died at the Tikri border on Tuesday night. His death has been attributed to cardiac arrest. Another farmer, Sandeep Kumar (30), from Rampura Sanna village in Sangrur died during the protest at Tikri border on Monday night.

On the show of support from global personalities for India during trips abroad, says BJP farmers’ protest, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “I have no interest in it. This is our internal matter and the farm laws should be repealed”. He, however, said the RSS-BJP mindset and the government’s treatment of farmers and journalists had shattered the country’s biggest strength — its soft power, and dented the country’s reputation.

Delhi Police, while continuing to increase its security layers at Tikri border, has barricaded internal roads with concrete or plastic barriers. Entry was allowed on select roads for two-wheelers and pedestrians, causing a lot of inconvenience to locals. Shopkeepers and residents said the barricading is leading to wastage of time, affecting sales and the traffic jams cause frayed tempers and fights among motorists.

"No foreign government has given support to agitation of Indian farmers against three bills passed by Indian Parliament. In Canada, UK, USA, and in few European countries, protests by a few motivated PIOs on issues related to the Indian farm bill have been reported," Minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan said in Parliament.

The latest to join the 'India against propaganda' hashtag on Twitter was sports star Sachin Tendulkar who took to the social media platform saying that "external forces" can observe but cannot participate, in an indirect reference to farmers protests.