New Delhi:
The India chapter of Greenpeace should not be allowed to receive foreign funds anymore as it broke the law and funded political activities, the government has told the Delhi High Court in an affidavit.
Denying the claims, Greenpeace has said it will defend itself in court.
"The cancelling of our FCRA registration is the government's latest move in a relentless onslaught against the community's right to dissent. It is yet another attempt to silence campaigns for a more sustainable future and transparency in public processes," Vinuta Gopal, interim co-Executive Director of Greenpeace India, said in a statement.
In April, Greenpeace's registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act or FCRA was put under temporary suspension and finally cancelled a month ago. The government had asked the non-profit to show why the penalty should not be made permanent.
At the time, seven of its bank accounts were frozen, with the government alleging that the organisation deliberately under-reported foreign contributions and used them in part to fund legal cases. The organisation received relief from the Delhi High court, which ordered that it be allowed to receive funds to meet its "establishment cost" -- salaries, rent and other expenses.
Now, the government is expected to ask the court to freeze its one active bank account.
Last year, an internal report of the Home Ministry said the activities of Greenpeace bordered on being "anti-national", slowing down India's energy policy implementation by "physically preventing new nuclear and coal-based plants".
It said Greenpeace had been "creating" protests where none existed and even claimed it, along with its allies, had created "front organisations" so that protest and disruptions cannot be traced back to the group.
Greenpeace had dubbed it a smear campaign, saying it revealed "more about the MHA".
Besides Greenpeace, the Home Ministry this year has taken a series of actions against various non-profits -- cancelling the registration of more than 10,000 of them, including two run by social activist Teesta Setalvad. Ford Foundation faced scrutiny over alleged irregularities.