India summons British High Commissioner, condemns discussions in U.K parliament over Indian farm laws

India has asked the British High Commissioner Alex Ellis to appear before the Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla in order to covey its protest against the “unwarranted and tendentious discussion” over India’s agricultural reforms in the U.K parliament.

New Delhi on Tuesday said the Foreign Secretary had summoned the British envoy and conveyed “strong opposition to unwarranted and tendentious discussion on agricultural reforms in India in the British Parliament.

The the foreign ministry told the high commissioner that the discussion of farm laws in the UK parliament has marked a gross interference in politics of another democratic country.

“He advised that British MPs should refrain from practicing votebank politics by misrepresenting events, especially in relation to another fellow democracy,” a statement from the ministry read.

Earlier Indian High Commission in London had condmened the disucssion saying “We deeply regret that rather than a balanced debate, false assertions – without substantiation or facts – were made, casting aspersions on the largest functioning democracy in the world and its institutions.”

“Foreign media, including the British media, are present in India and have witnessed the events under discussion first-hand. The question of lack of freedom of the media in India does not arise,” the High Commission’s statement read.