Greenpeace India issued show-cause notice by Tamil Nadu government

NEW DELHI: Mired in controversy, Greenpeace India today claimed it had been sent a a show-cause notice by Tamil Nadu government threatening cancellation of its registration due to questions over its operations and funding.

The green body claimed that the show-cause notice dated June 16, is in response to an inspection of the NGO's office in Chennai on June 3 by the Registrar of Societies of the Tamil Nadu government.

"Greenpeace India has been sent a show-cause notice threatening cancellation of the NGO's society registration due to questions over its operations and funding," an NGO statement said.

It said that the inspection on June 3 had the intention to look into the organisation's society status - the legal basis on which Greenpeace operates in India.

"Greenpeace respects the law and we have cooperated with the authorities. We are confident that we will be able to address the issues raised by the Registrar and prove beyond doubt we have acted within the law," said Divya Raghunandan, programme director, Greenpeace India.

On June 3, the NGO had claimed that its office was inspected by a team of investigators from Tamil Nadu government and had termed the move as "orchestrated" by those who are "frustrated" by its resilience.

The green body had said the investigators refused to submit their request in writing but verbally confirmed that they were looking into the organisation's society status.

The government had earlier barred Greenpeace India from receiving foreign funds by suspending its licence for six months and freezing all its accounts after alleging that it has "prejudicially" affected the country's interests.

In a relief to the NGO, Delhi High Court had recently allowed it to use two of its accounts for the purpose of receiving and utilising fresh domestic donations for its day-to-day functioning, telling the government it cannot choke them of their funds.