Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai refuses to give undertaking to government

NEW DELHI: Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai, who was offloaded from a flight at the IGI Airport here last month, today said she has refused to give an undertaking as sought by the government as a pre-condition to allow her to travel abroad.

"The government today asked me to give an undertaking in writing that I would not speak about violation and, if I give such an undertaking, I would be allowed to leave this country and travel abroad. But I refused to give that undertaking," Pillai told a private TV channel tonight.

She said she had refused to give the undertaking as she was refusing "to take on a gag order only".

"As a citizen of this country, I have every right to peacefully protest, talk, clearly express opinion within the Constitution," she said.

The 37-year-old Pillai had sought permission to travel to London to make a presentation before British MPs on alleged human rights violation at Mahan in Madhya Pradesh which, she claimed, was the reason why she was offloaded from the flight at IGI Airport here on January 11.

Delhi High Court today termed inappropriate the government's decision to off-load Pillai and said that difference of opinion does not mean being anti-national.

The court said that there can be a difference of opinion but it does not mean that a person's movement is curtailed.

The Look Out Circular (LOC) against Pillai will be withdrawn if she gives an undertaking that she will not depose before the UK parliamentary committee on alleged violations in the country, the government told Delhi High Court today.