Police in India have arrested a 22-year-old climate activist after she promoted a so-called online "toolkit" that supports protesting farmers against the country's new agricultural policies, BBC reported Monday.
The arrest of Disha Ravi sparked widespread anger on Sunday, with politicians, academics and authors among those denouncing the authorities' action.
Ravi, a leader from the Indian arm of Greta Thunberg's Friday for Future environmental advocacy, was arrested at her home in Bangalore on Saturday and taken to New Delhi for questioning after using social media to share the web document.
According to Indian authorities, Ravi was a "key conspirator" in the "formulation and dissemination" of the toolkit, which suggests ways of helping the distraught farmers.
Tens of thousands of Indian farmers have protested at mass rallies for more than two months over the country's new agricultural laws.
The farmers say the new laws will only benefit wealthy individuals and big companies and leave them at their mercy for negotiating prices for their produce.
But the government claims the new policies are required to modernize the country's farming sector.
Ravi's arrest comes after Thunberg and Hollywood star Rihanna used their celebrity status to support the protesting farmers, prompting a furious response from the Indian government who accused the pop singer and Thunberg of promoting "sensationalist social media hashtags and comments."
Meena Harris, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' niece, has also joined a chorus of celebrity voices speaking out against India's agricultural reforms.
Meanwhile, Twitter said that it will not block the accounts of politicians, reporters and activists in India, despite being ordered to do so by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration, in reference to New Delhi's agricultural reforms.
