Hollywood veteran Susan Sarandon supports farmers protest

NEW DELHI: Veteran Hollywood actor Susan Sarandon became the latest celebrity to extend support to the farmers' protest, posting a news story from the New York Times with her comment. "Standing in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India. Read about who they are and why they're protesting below," read her tweet, posted days after the huge row triggered when pop icon Rihanna flagged the protests.

Rihanna's post had set off a wave of global support for the protest by lakhs of farmers against the farm laws passed in September.

A number of celebrities, political leaders and activists -- including Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg, Meena Harris, an American lawyer and niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris, actor Amanda Cerni, singers Jay Sean, Dr Zeus and former adult star Mia Khalifa -- have supported the protesting farmers.

Their tweets have set off a pushback in India. The government had criticised the tweets, saying facts must be ascertained before people rush to comment on the issue, calling it "neither accurate nor responsible". The protests, the government had said, were being held by "a very small section of farmers".

"Motivated campaigns targeting India will never succeed. We have the self-confidence today to hold our own. This India will push back," foreign minister S Jaishankar had said.

The pushback was fuelled by furious responses from actors Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Ajay Devgn, filmmaker Karan Johar, Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, opener Rohit Sharma and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. Actor Kangana Ranaut too had joined in but her abusive tweet was deleted by Twitter.

The farmers have been on protest on the borders of Delhi for more than two months. Today, they are holding a nationwide ''chakka jam'' for three hours, starting at noon.