NEW DELHI: Violence at Red Fort on January 26 evoked a response similar to the Capitol Hill incident on January 6, said India on Thursday responding to the comments made by the US State Department over ongoing farmers agitation in Delhi.
Pitching the Capitol Hill coup against the Red Fort violence, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said, “Incidents of violence and vandalism at historic Red Fort on January 26 evoked similar sentiments and reactions in India as did the Capitol Hill incident on January 6 and are addressed as per local laws.”
The US State Department had earlier in the day urged the Indian government to engage in dialogue with the agitating farmers. In the context of an internet ban in some parts of Delhi, the US State Department had also noted that access to information was a fundamental right.
MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava at a weekly presser here said that protests in India should be seen in the context of India’s ethos and polity.
“Any protest must be seen in the context of India’s democratic ethos and polity and the ongoing efforts of government concerned farmer groups to resolve the impasse,” said the MEA.
MEA further said that internet access was curbed to prevent further violence.
“The temporary measures with regards to internet access in certain parts of the Delhi-NCR region were therefore understandably undertaken to prevent further violence,” said Srivastava in the official statement.
Earlier this week, the Haryana government had banned internet for a few days in some districts bordering Delhi following violence during tractor rally on January 26. The internet access was subsequently restored in all the districts by February 4.
MEA’s statement comes amidst several international celebrities extending support to the farmers protests on social media. The farmers have been agitating against the three new farm laws since Novermber 2020.
US statement on farmers protests
The State Department, responding to a question on the ongoing farmers’ protests in India, said on Wednesday that the US encourages any differences between parties to be resolved through dialogue.
It said that the US recognizes peaceful protests are a hallmark of a thriving democracy and noted that the Indian Supreme Court has stated the same.
State Department spokesperson said that the new Biden administration is supportive of the Indian government’s move to reform the agricultural sector that attracts private investment and greater market access to farmers.
“In general, the US welcomes steps that would improve the efficiency of India’s markets and attract greater private sector investment,” it said.
(With inputs from agencies)