London/ New Delhi: A debate held in British Parliament on Monday on "safety of farmers" and "press freedom" in India has evoked a sharp response from the
The debate was held in response to an e-petition which had crossed the 100,000-signature threshold, required for it to be approved by the House of Commons Petitions Committee.
The High Commission of India in London has condemned false assertions in a distinctly one-sided discussion among a group of British parliamentarians on Monday on the issue of peaceful protests and press freedoms in India, amidst the ongoing farmers stir against three new laws on agricultural reforms. The Indian mission pointed out that foreign media, including British media, had been present and witnessed the events surrounding the farmers protests in India first-hand and therefore any question of lack of freedom of the media in India does not arise. We deeply regret that rather than a balanced debate, false assertions without substantiation or facts were made, casting aspersions on the largest functioning democracy in the world and its institutions, a statement issued by the high commission said, following the debate which stemmed from an e-petition that attracted over 100,000 signatures on the parliamentary website.
Updated Mar 09, 2021 · 11:24 am Farmers listen to a speaker during a protest at the Delhi-Haryana state border in Singhu on January 27. | Money Sharma/ AFP
The Indian High Commission in London on Monday sharply criticised a debate held at the British Parliament on the safety of protesting farmers and press freedom in India, calling it a “distinctly one-sided discussion”, PTI reported.
Several MPs from the Liberal Democrats, Labour Party and the Scottish National Party had expressed concern about the safety of farmers protesting against the agricultural laws on Delhi’s borders and the targeting of journalists covering the agitation. The House of Commons had assigned 90 minutes for a debate on the matters on Monday.