Human Rights can't be an excuse for defying law of the land: MHA on Amnesty

Ministry says after being denied FCRA nod, Amnesty dodged rules with its UK entity remitting large amounts of money to four entities registered in India, by classifying it as FDI

The Home ministry on Tuesday said that human rights cannot be an excuse for defying the law of the land after Amnesty International alleged the government was on a witch-hunt. The ministry in a statement said that the stand taken by the organisation was unfortunate, exaggerated and far from the truth. 

It said that after being denied FCRA approval, Amnesty circumvented the regulations with its UK entity remitting large amounts of money to four entities registered in India, by classifying it as foreign direct investment and a large amount was also remitted to Amnesty India.

Home ministry said, “All the glossy statements about humanitarian work and speaking truth to power are nothing but a ploy to divert attention from their activities which were in clear contravention of laid down Indian laws.”

Such statements were also an attempt to extraneously influence the course of investigations by multiple agencies into the irregularities and illegalities carried out over the last few years, it said.

The home ministry said that owing to these illegal practices the previous government had also rejected the repeated applications of Amnesty to receive funds from overseas. 

Amnesty is free to continue humanitarian work in India, the statement by MHA said. It added however that India, by settled law, does not allow interference in domestic political debates by entities funded by foreign donations. “This law applies equally to all and it shall apply to Amnesty International as well...Amnesty’s failure to comply with local regulations does not entitle them to make comments on the democratic and plural character of India.”