It was reported Thursday that Delhi Police reportedly filed an FIR against Greta Thunberg, the teen climate change activist, for tweets she posted on India's farmers' protests. Authorities later the same day issued a clarification on the matter, saying the complaint was not against the Sweden-based 18-year-old but was instead a probe into the farmers' protest toolkit document she shared on Twitter.
Thunberg had earlier this week expressed solidarity with farmers protesting around New Delhi against the centre's three farm laws, sharing a toolkit meant to organise "urgent action" towards the protests. The teen activist caused a furore when she deleted said document and posted a fresh one, which led many to insinuate that she was part of a global conspiracy against India.
Some reports suggested the award-winning activist has been charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code. According to certain reports, some activists even resorted to burning posters of 18-year-old Thunberg and singer Rihanna to protest their comments on the farm law protests.
News of FIR against Greta Thunberg: activist responds
Despite the legal action against documents she shared, Thunberg hasn't held back on tweeting in support of India's farmers yet again. "I still #StandWithFarmers and support their peaceful protest," she wrote.
"We have registered a case for spreading disaffection against the government of India - it's regarding sedition - and disharmony between groups... We have not named anybody in the FIR. It is only against the creators of the toolkit," Special Commissioner Praveer Ranjan was quoted saying.
FIR Against Greta Thunberg Actually A Probe Into The Toolkit?
On February 3, Thunberg's tweet - which said: "We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India." - brought international attention to the ongoing agitation by farmers. The likes of Rihanna, Meena Harris, and Mia Khalifa too raised a voice on the issue.
Late Wednesday, however, Thunberg sparked an uproar by reportedly posting, deleting, and then re-posting a "farmers' protest toolkit" document claiming to garner support for the protests by listing resources “that provide more insight on urgent actions."
Netizens Talk Conspiracy Theories
Several Twitter users claimed significant changes between the two documents, as hashtags like #GretaThunbergExposed trended, alleging it was part of an international conspiracy to defame India. Read more here.
The FIR against Greta Thunberg also comes following a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs that emphasised “international support against India” with “sensationalist social media hashtags and comments.”
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