A day after the government cancelled the registration of Greenpeace India under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act (FCRA), the NGO hit back terming the move as "a relentless onslaught against the community's right to dissent".
Targeting the government over the issue, Vinuta Gopal, interim co-executive director of Greenpeace India, said that "it is yet another attempt to silence campaigns for a more sustainable future and transparency in public processes".
"Cutting access to our foreign funding may be a desperate attempt to get us to cease our work, but the MHA probably didn't count on our having an amazing network of volunteers and supporters who have helped us continue our work despite the government crackdown," she said.
She, however, added that most of the work of Greenpeace India would continue as majority of its funding came from within the country.
Greenpeace India also announced the launch of an online campaign to counter the move of the government.
"In fact, we are responding to this latest melodrama by launching a new creative online campaign and are confident that people will show they are ready to fight back in style, and send a clear message to those in power - you just can't muzzle dissent in a democracy," she said.
The Greenpeace India's registration was cancelled under Section 13 of the FCRA, a senior Home Ministry official had said. The decision means that the NGO will not be able to receive from abroad the funds, which are upto 30 per cent of its overall cost of operations.
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