Greenpeace India, which has reportedly come under the Intelligence Bureau’s (IB) lens, has rejected allegations that it is working to derail the Indian economy.
According to media reports, the Bureau had allegedly called Greenpeace India “a threat to national economic security” in a report on foreign-funded non-Governmental organisations (NGOs).
Addressing journalists in New Delhi, Abhishek Pratap, a senior campaigner with Greenpeace, said, “Greenpeace India is an independent organisation, which campaigns for development which is sustainable and growth that is inclusive. How can this be a threat to national economic security?”
Pratap said Greenpeace has not seen the IB report, but has requested the Ministry of Home Affairs for a copy of the same.
When contacted, officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs declined to comment and said they do not have access to the report.
Denying allegations that the organisation is being funded by foreign organisations with vested interests, Pratap said Greenpeace gets its contributions from individuals and does not accept donations from any Government or corporate entities.
In the year 2013-2014, Greenpeace India raised around ₹20 crore from over 3 lakh individual supporters in the country. He said the organisation released its annual report for the last five years, revealing its sources of funding.
Greenpeace has been in the eye of the storm for various campaigns — the anti-nuclear energy campaign (in Jaitapur, Maharashtra), anti-coal power campaign ( against Mahan Coal Ltd in Madhya Pradesh) and another against genetically-modified crops.