Rihanna’s Tweet Wasn't Influenced by Canadian MP
The Claim
A Sikh Canadian MP was behind Rihanna’s tweet that supported protesting farmers in the Indian capital.
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Emerging story
Following a tweet by famous US pop singer Rihanna, who extended her support to the Farmers Protest in New Delhi, social media users took to Twitter to denounce her tweet as propaganda.
Users have claimed that the Sikh Canadian MP Jagmeet Singh, who was also alleged by users to be a terrorist and pro-separatist, was behind Rihanna’s tweet.
Other users have increasingly shared an article from OP India to further circulate the claim online.
Misbar’s Analysis
Rihanna, who has a following of 100.9 million Twitter users, shared a tweet in February 2021 containing a CNN article with the words “why aren’t we talking about this?! #Farmersprotest.” The tweet and article are about an ongoing internet shutdown imposed around New Delhi in response to a nearly 3-month long protest staged on the outskirts of the Indian capital. The demonstrators, who consist mainly of farmers, are protesting against three agricultural laws that were passed in September 2020, stating that they were not consulted on the process that will fundamentally hurt their livelihood under corporate control, particularly women. Police have responded by firing teargas canisters at protestors and setting up roadblocks to prevent their march to the capital. A few hours after Rihanna’s tweet, other international celebrities voiced their support, including prominent climate crisis activist Greta Thunberg.
Some social media users quickly took to Twitter to denounce the act of solidarity from the pop superstar, labeling her comments as ‘inaccurate’. After Canadian MP and political party leader Jagmeet Singh applauded Rihanna in a quoted tweet for drawing attention to the protests, certain users prompted the claim that he was actually the one behind Rihanna’s tweet.
The article by OP India, which has been circulated numerous times, reiterates the claim based on the sole fact that the two follow each other on Instagram and “that he had received a text from the pop-singer on Instagram too.” The article also alleges that Singh is a supporter of separatism within India and goes on to quote the tweet of Indian actress Kangana Ranaut, who refers to Rihanna as a "porn singer" and Singh as a "terrorist."
The article does not provide any more evidence, besides hearsay from tweets restating the claim, in showing other links between Rihanna and Singh that might explain the alleged influence exerted over the pop singer in sending out her solidarity tweet. Furthermore, the article itself contains biased language in opposition to the demonstrations, such as referring to the protestors as “irrelevant” and Rihanna’s tweet as “propaganda” and “unnecessary interference [from] foreign individuals.”
It appears based on the evidence, or rather the lack thereof, that the claim that Canadian PM Jagmeet Singh was behind Rihanna’s tweet in support of protesting Indian farmers is false.
