American NGOs under 'watchlist' were allegedly donating money to unregistered organisations

NEW DELHI: Three American NGOs, recently put under ‘watchlist’ by the government, were allegedly donating money to unregistered organisations in India. The recipients were asked to work for religious conversion, climate change, democratic rights etc, intelligence reports said.

It stated these donors also engaged with government-controlled Chinese NGOs. ETon Wednesday reported that the move to put these NGOs under the ‘watchlist’ started days before PM Modi left for a US visit.

A senior government official said US billionaire George Soros-promoted Open Society Foundations donated Rs 4.1 crore to senior lawyer Indira Jaising’s Lawyers Collective. It was recently put under suspension.

While explaining the threats, the reports said these NGOs were controversial and known for ‘regime change’. OSF had recently organised a seminar demanding environmental justice on the international policy agenda within the realities of rural India, the reports said.

The other two NGOs — World Movement for Democracy and National endowment for Democracy — donated money to Indian NGOs not registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act and are not entitled to receive the donations, said a senior government official.