"Since Amnesty International has been denied FCRA approval by successive govts since it's not eligible to get such approval. In order to circumvent FCRA regulations, Amnesty UK remitted large amounts of money to 4 entities registered in India, by classifying it as FDI": Ministry of Home Affairs
The organisation has been compelled to let 'go of staff' as on Sept 10, it "came to know that all its bank accounts were frozen" by financial probe agency, Enforcement Directorate
New Delhi: In a move that shows poorly on governance in India and could revive 'intolerance' debate under a pro-Hindu regime once again, Amnesty International India announced on Tuesday halting its "work on upholding Human Rights" due to alleged "reprisal from Government of India".
"The continuing crackdown on Amnesty International India over the last two years and the complete freezing of bank accounts is not accidental. The constant harassment by government agencies including the Enforcement Directorate is a result of our unequivocal calls for transparency in the government, more recently for accountability of the Delhi police and the Government of India regarding the grave human rights violations in Delhi riots and Jammu & Kashmir," the right body said in a statement
here.
"This is latest in the incessant witch-hunt of human rights organizations by the Government of India over unfounded and motivated allegations," Amnesty International India said.
On 10 September 2020 Amnesty International India "came to know that all its bank accounts were completely frozen" by the Enforcement Directorate bringing most of the work of the human rights organization to a grinding halt.
It also said: "Amnesty International India stands in full compliance with all applicable Indian and international laws.
For human rights work in India, it operates through a distinct model of raising funds domestically. More than
four million Indians have supported Amnesty International India’s work in the last eight years and around
100,000 Indians have made financial contributions".
It said these contributions "evidently cannot" have any relation with the Foreign Contribution
(Regulation) Act of 2010 which was amended earlier this month during the monsoon session of Indian
Parliament.
"The fact that the Government is now portraying this lawful fundraising model as money-laundering is evidence that the overbroad legal framework is maliciously activated when human rights activists and groups challenge the government’s grave inactions and excesses," the right body said.
Opposition Congress lawmaker and former federal Minister, Shashi Tharoor, has said
"Actions like this both undermine our reputation as a democracy and vitiate our soft power".
Amnesty in its statement also said: "The complete freezing of Amnesty International India’s bank accounts by the Government of India which it came to know on 10 September 2020, brings all the work being done by the organization to a grinding halt. The organisation has been compelled to let go of staff in India and pause all its ongoing campaign and research work".
As reported by UCA News earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government piloted a bill in parliament this month
seeking to tighten the rules of overseas funding in a move that could adversely affect thousands of social workers including Catholic organizations.
The government led by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) brought in the amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FRCA), which critics say aims to help the government tightly monitor organizations and silence criticism.
"This new law is mainly directed at minority organizations or institutions," said Saugata Roy of Trinamool Congress.
Amnesty International sources said in 2018 a massive 10-hour-long raid was conduced by Enforcement Directorate (ED), a financial investigation agency under the Ministry of Finance and officials entered its premises and "locked the gates".
In early 2019, the Department of Income Tax started sending investigative letters to more than 30 small regular donors.
A government statement earlier this month explaining the amendments in the FCRA law had said the annual inflow of foreign contributions to various organisations has almost doubled between 2010 and 2019.
"But many recipients of foreign contributions have not utilized the same for the purpose for which they were registered or granted prior permission" under the law.
BJP in its reactions says there were several issues with Amnesty International India's style of functioning.
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