Sachin Tendulkar’s poster, blackened by youth congressmen in Kerala

On Friday, the members of the Indian Youth Congress poured black oil on a cut-out of Sachin Tendulkar in Kochi, Kerala, a day after his tweet on international personalities who tweeted on farmers protesting.

Bollywood superstars Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, and producer-director Karan Johar joined Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri to support the call of the Centre to stand against “propaganda” against the Indian government and its policies after international personalities such as Rihanna and Greta Thunberg extended their support to the protest of farmers.

“India’s sovereignty cannot be compromised. External forces can be spectators but not participants. Indians know India and should decide for India. Let’s remain united as a nation. #IndiaTogether #IndiaAgainstPropaganda,” Sachin tweeted.

“Agriculture is a very important component of the Indian economic system’s machinery. Farmers are the backbone of the ecosystem of any country. This is an internal matter that I’m sure will be resolved through dialogue. Shastri tweeted, Jai Hind! #IndiaStandsTogether #IndiaAgainstPropoganda.

After the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) released a statement, Bollywood actors and former cricketers responded that notable personalities should refrain from responding to this issue and rather get a “proper understanding of the issues.”

We would urge that the facts be established and a proper understanding of the problems at hand be undertaken before rushing to comment on such matters. The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments is neither accurate nor accountable, particularly when resorted to by celebrities and others said MEA in its statement on Wednesday.