In a major revelation, popstar Rihanna, who recently made headlines for her tweet supporting the farmers' movement, was allegedly paid $2.5 million by a public relations firm – Skyrocket, The Print reported.
The report also suggests that Mo Dhaliwal, the founder of the Canada-based firm 'Poetic Justice Foundation' (PJF) also created the controversial 'toolkit' tweeted by climate activist Greta Thunberg. He is one of the Directors of the PR firm in question – Skyrocket.
Others linked to Skyrocket include Marina Patterson, a PR professional who is currently on the radar of Indian agencies for stoking the farmers' agitation, Anita Lal, director of the Canada-based World Sikh Organisation, and co-founder of PJF, and Canadian parliamentarian Jagmeet Singh.
According to the The Print, PJF played a "vital role" in "starting a global campaign", with backing from "political leaders and activists based out of Canada".
PJF describes it as an organisation that "challenges structures of oppression and discrimination through intersectional grassroots advocacy". Their website states that "currently we are most actively involved in the #FarmersProtest", the report said.
The report states that Skyrocket allegedly paid $2.5 million (Rs 18 crores) to Rihanna to tweet in support of the farmers' protest in India, adding that Dhaliwal, is a Canada-based Sikh who is a "self-proclaimed Sikh separatist" and is also close to Canadian parliamentarian Jagmeet Singh.
The organization has also been actively tweeting about the farmers' protest. It also created a website by the name "AskIndiaWhy" which states – "India's farmers and citizens need the global community to pay attention". "International focus on these protests may be the only thing preventing state-sponsored violence and another string of massacres in the country," it adds.
Additionally, PJF defended the hoisting of Nishan Sahib at the Red Fort during the tractor rally on Republic Day.
Notably, in October last year, Dhaliwal was a panelist for a webinar named 'Khalistan, a conversation on trauma, racism and sovereignty'. The programme involved a discussion on the Sikh separatist movement, the report stated.