Headlines
Greenpeace member denied entry into India, says NGO
New Delhi, June 8
A member of Greenpeace
International, Aaron Gray-Block, was "barred" from entering India
despite having a valid business visa and necessary documents, the NGO
said on Monday.
The organisation has demanded an explanation from the ministry of home affairs.
Gray-Block
was travelling from Sydney and was not allowed to enter India at the
Bengaluru airport on Saturday midnight. His passport was seized and he
was put on a flight to Kuala Lumpur.
"His passport was returned
to him after he landed in Kuala Lumpur. He is now back in Australia.
This is not the first time Greenpeace staff from other countries have
been denied entry into India," a Greenpeace statement said.
"No
formal reason was given by the immigration officials for the decision
and he was not officially deported," the statement said.
He was
travelling to India on an Australian passport to take part in a series
of meetings with staff and to learn more about Greenpeace India's
current campaigns, it added.
Seeking a "full explanation" from
the home ministry, Divya Raghunandan, Greenpeace India programme
director, said: "Our colleague has a valid business visa, and yet he was
prevented from entering India with no reason given.
"We support
the free movement of people across the world, which is crucial to the
work of business as well as charities. Greenpeace International is a
global organisation that helps to find solutions to environmental
problems. There is absolutely no reason why one of its staff members
should be treated in such an arbitrary way.
"We are forced to
wonder if all international staff of Greenpeace will now be prevented
from entering the country? If Home Minister Rajnath Singh has a stand on
this, then we would like him to state it clearly," said Raghunandan.
Greenpeace
India activist Priya Pillai was stopped from flying to London in
January. However, on March 12, Pillai was granted relief by the Delhi
High court which quashed the look out circular issued against her.
On
April 9, Home Minister Rajnath Singh blocked Greenpeace India's bank
accounts for which the environmental group had to seek interim relief
from the Delhi High Court.
However, on May 27 the Delhi High
Court allowed NGO Greenpeace India to operate two of its domestic
accounts, which were frozen by the central government.