Headlines
Greenpeace activist's offloading inappropriate: HC
The Delhi High Court
Wednesday termed "inappropriate" the central government's decision to
prevent Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai from leaving India on the
ground that she would project a negative image of the country at the
international level.
Justice Rajiv Shakdher said that there can
be differences of opinion on the development policies of the government
but that does not tantamount to being "anti-national".
The
central government had earlier told the court that Pillai has been
"involved in anti-national activities" and that was why she was
offloaded Jan 11 at the airport here, when she was going to London to
attend a meeting.
The court also remarked that the central
government was "underestimating the power of the Indian state" when
Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain submitted that Pillai's speech
had the potential of being prejudicial to the national interest.
Senior
advocate Indira Jaisingh, appearing for Pillai, objected to the
government's move and told the court that the Greenpeace activist has a
fundamental right to express her opinion on issues both nationally and
internationally.
She added: "The fact that her opinion is not in
consonance with that of the government's does not imply that her views
are detrimental to national interest."
The central government
however, justified the issuance of the Look Out Circular (LOC) against
Pillai saying that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has been issuing LOCs
for the last several decades for various reasons concerning national
security.
Pillai has challenged her offloading and LOC issued in her name.
In
her petition, she said 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.
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.