Police, BJP charge Greta Thunberg of conspiring to defame India

The ruling BJP, on Thursday, termed the farmers’ protest as part of an “international conspiracy” to defame India, in which teen climate activist Greta Thunberg, singer Rihanna and some other celebrities are involved. The Delhi police simultaneously registered a case for sedition, overseas conspiracy, and attempt to promote enmity involving Greta Thunberg.

Thunberg, on her part, seemed unfazed and tweeted that she still stood with the farmers and “no amount of threats” would change that.

The police said the case is against the creators of a toolkit that Thunberg had cited in her tweet to encourage endorsing the farmers’ protests and she is not named as an accused. The ruling party, meanwhile, was more vocal and direct in its attack against the climate activist and other celebrities.

“Farm laws are an excuse to target our holy democracy. Under the garb of these protests an international conspiracy is being hatched against India. But our democracy is above Rihanna, Greta and Mia Khalifa. Our democracy does not need any foreign certificate. The toolkit mentioned by Thunberg in her tweet reveals that an international conspiracy has been hatched against India,” said BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia.

The police took cognizance of a toolkit document found on a social media handle that allegedly liked to a Khalistani group that indicates execution of a conspiracy behind the January 26 violence.

Briefing reporters, Special Police Commissioner Praveer Ranjan said that preliminary inquiries have revealed that more than 300 social-media handles are being used to push “hateful and malicious” content by some organisations and individuals who have vested interest in spreading disaffection and ill-will against the Government of India.

“In the process of monitoring of social media, it has come to our notice that one document titled ‘tool kit’ was uploaded through one of the handles on a particular social-media platform. Preliminary enquiry has revealed that the tool kit in question appears to have been created by a pro-Khalistan organisation called ‘Poetic Justice Foundation’. A section of the documents titled ‘prior action’ delineates an action plan involving digital strike through hashtags on or before January 26. Tweets storm from January 23 onwards. Physical action on January 26. Watch-out or join farmers march into Delhi and back to borders,” said Praveel Ranjan, referring to investigations into January 26 violence.

The police have registered a case under section 124-A amounting to sedition, 153-A amounting to promoting enmity between different groups, 153 and 120-B amounting to criminal conspiracy in the IPC.

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