Headlines
Priya Pillai, Greenpeace activist engaged in anti-national activities'
New Delhi, Feb 6
The central government told
the Delhi High Court Friday that Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai has
been "involved in anti-national activities" and that was why she was
offloaded Jan 11 at the airport here.
Additional Solicitor
General Sanjay Jain told the court that Pillai was offloaded on the
basis of intelligence inputs that she was going to London to attend a
meeting which was against the country's interests.
Jain submitted
a set of secret documents to Justice Rajiv Shakdher and said: "The
petitioner (Pillai) was offloaded on the basis of intelligence inputs as
she has been involved in anti-national activities. The organisation
Greenpeace in which she is working was also indulged in anti-national
activities. The findings of the organisation is under watch."
The court asked the additional solicitor general to state these submissions on an affidavit and posted the matter for Feb 18.
The court questioned the centre's move to stop Pillai from travelling abroad as it is against the fundamental rights.
Pillai
said in her petition that her offloading was "illegal and arbitrary"
and she had a valid business visa for six months to visit London where
she was scheduled to address British parliamentarians Jan 14.
"The
illegal offloading by over-zealous government agencies is not just a
violation of her basic right to personal liberty and freedom of speech
but is also deliberate attempt to malign her reputation," senior
advocate Indira Jaisingh, appearing for Pillai, told the court.
Pillai also challenged the alleged lookout circular issued in her name.
Pillai
was invited by British MPs to talk about her campaign with local
communities in Mahan, Madhya Pradesh, where a proposed coal mining
project is threatening to uproot the lives and livelihood of the
community.