Greenpeace India slams govt. for blocking foreign funds

Greenpeace India on Thursday slammed the government for suspending the organisation's Foreign Currency Regulation Act registration and blocking it foreign funds saying the latter does not want a dissenting voice on any issue.

"The show cause notice is a bunch of technicalities. The government doesn't want a dissenting voice, be it on any issue. Greenpeace is standing up for such issues and what the government was alleging is illegal. It must allow a different opinion. Is this crony capitalism or the government will listen to opposing voices? Our lawyer and accounts are looking into it," Greenpeace India spokesperson Divya Raghunandan.

Though, Greenpeace India has so far received no official communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the NGO said in a statement to the media that it is seeking legal counsel on the information that is available on the Ministry of Home Affairs' website.

On January 20, the Delhi High Court had directed the MHA to transfer the blocked foreign funds from Greenpeace International and Climate Works Foundation to Greenpeace India's accounts declaring MHA's actions to be arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional upholding the legitimacy of the issues that the NGO takes up in India. The High Court observed that the Ministry of Home Affairs in its reply had stated that Greenpeace India can have access to all other foreign funds except Greenpeace International as Greenpeace International has been put on a watch-list. But it was observed that no material was put on record against Greenpeace International.

Greenpeace India added 30,746 new supporters, taking its tally of financial supporters within India to 77,768. In all, the group received INR 30.36 crore, of which INR 20.76 crore was given by supporters within India.