No foreign govt has given support farmers' protest in India: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday said no foreign government has given support to the agitation of Indian farmers against three farm laws.

Replying to the questions by Members of Parliament Syed Imtiaz Jaleel and Asaduddin Owaisi in the Lok Sabha, on naming the countries where such protest took place, V Muraleedharan, Minister of State (MoS) in MEA, said that in Canada, UK, USA, and in few European countries, protests by a few motivated Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) on issues related to the Indian farm laws have been reported.

"No foreign government has given support to the agitation of Indian farmers against three bills passed by the Indian Parliament. In Canada, UK, USA, and in few European countries, protests by a few motivated PIO on issues related to the Indian farm laws have been reported," read Muraleedharan's reply.

While highlighting, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's comment on issues related to farmers in India, MoS said," Government of Canada has welcomed the Government of India'scommitment to ongoing dialogue with the farmers to discuss issues of concern."

Replying to a separate question on whether the government has taken up the matter with these countries warning them not to interfere in the internal matters of India, Muraleedharan said that "we have taken up this matter with the Canadian authorities both in Ottawa and New Delhi and conveyed that such comments pertaining to the internal affairs of India are unwarranted, unacceptable and would damage India-Canada bilateral relations."

This comes after farmers protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

( With inputs from ANI )