Greenpeace India to appeal against order to close over alleged fraud

Greenpeace India will appeal against an order to shut over allegations of fraud and falsification of data, the environmental group said on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared economic development a priority and his government has cracked down on non-governmental organisations it says are trying to hamper projects on social and environmental grounds. "We remain committed to upholding our right to dissent," Greenpeace said in a statement. "Greenpeace cannot - and will not - be silenced in this way."

Greenpeace India said last week the government of Tamil Nadu state, where it was registered, had cancelled its licence under orders from the home ministry. The group was given 30 days to shut down. Greenpeace India said the order contained several inaccurate and baseless allegations. For example, the group said it had been accused of failing to reply to an earlier notice when it had documents acknowledging its submission. The Tamil Nadu government department that cancelled the licence did not respond to calls or an email.

In April, the government suspended Greenpeace India's registration for six months, saying the group was underreporting foreign contributions and using them without clearance. Greenpeace India has campaigned against coal mines in forests, genetically modified crops, nuclear power and management of toxic waste.