Tweets by Rihanna, Others Irk India

A tweet from singer Rihanna has apparently drawn the ire of the Indian government. On Tuesday, the pop star tweeted a news story about ongoing protests by farmers in India over controversial new agriculture laws with the message: “Why aren’t we talking about this #FarmersProtest.” Soon after, activist Greta Thunberg, Meena Harris, Vice President Kamala Harris’ niece, and others, tweeted their support for the farmers, the BBC reports. In a Wednesday statement, India’s Ministry of External Affairs defended the new laws and said the tens of thousands of farmers protesting them represent a “very small section,” adding that people should learn the facts “before rushing to comment.”

“The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible,” said the statement, which included the hashtag #IndiaTogether. The government has begun cracking down on the farmers, who have been camped out on the border of Delhi for months, per the Guardian, deploying police and paramilitary units and disrupting water and food supplies. The farmers say the new laws favor large corporations. “The government treats us like thieves but we are fighting for our rights,” one farmer tells the Guardian. (More Rihanna stories.)