The government on Thursday said it has “taken note” of the comments made by US State Department on farmer protests in the country.
Earlier, the US had called for a “dialogue” with the farmers of India, urging the Indian government to recognise “peaceful protests” and allow “access” to the internet. On the issue of reports of internet shutdown in areas around the protest sites at the Delhi border, the US government emphasised that access to information was the “hallmark” of a thriving “democracy”.
Responding to this, the Indian government, on its part, through a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said “any protests must be seen in the context of India’s democratic ethos and polity, and the ongoing efforts of the government and the concerned farmer groups to resolve the impasse”.
On US’s response to internet ban in areas around the protest sites at the Delhi border, the MEA said: “the temporary measures with regard to internet access in certain parts of the NCR region were understandably undertaken to prevent further violence”.
