Greenpeace violated FCRA, Centre tells HC

The Central government on Tuesday in the Delhi high court accused NGO Greenpeace India of violating Foreign Contribution Regulation Act ( FCRA) by merging its foreign contributions with domestic donations.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher was told by the ministry of home affairs that Greenpeace India is utilising it’s foreign contribution for own administrative purpose.

Additional solicitor general Sanjay Jain said, “There are several other accounts which have not been revealed and we are investigating that.”

The government while submitting an affidavit said, “It was found that Greenpeace receives huge amount of foreign contribution running into crores of rupees which is though deposited in FCRA account, is diverted to such other utilisation accounts in which foreign contribution has been merged with domestic receipts contrary to the Act.”

The court was hearing a plea of Greenpeace India to de- freeze its blocked international and national bank accounts following a home ministry directive last month.

The plea contended that the suspension of licence and freezing of accounts were completely “illegal and unconstitutional”.

The home ministry’s action showed evidence of “bad faith” and was an attempt to silence Greenpeace India because of its high profile campaigns in areas like coal mining, air pollution and the use of pesticides in agriculture, claimed the plea.