Controversial NGO Amnesty International halted its India operations. In a statement issued today, Amnesty India said it has decided to take this step following the complete freezing of its bank accounts by the BJP government.
The complete freezing of Amnesty International India’s bank accounts by the Government of India which it came to know on 10 September 2020, brings all the work being done by the organization to a grinding halt. The organisation has been compelled to let go of staff in India and pause all its ongoing campaign and research work. This is latest in the incessant witch-hunt of human rights organizations by the Government of India over unfounded and motivated allegations, Amnesty International India said today.
Calling the government’s move to freeze their bank accounts, “a witch hunt”, the NGO which allegedly has links to British Govt and Islamist orgs, alleged that their “investigations” in the North-east Delhi riots, and Jammu and Kashmir, post the abrogation of Article 370 were the reason behind the crackdown. “Amnesty International India stands in full compliance with all applicable Indian and international laws,” the organisation claimed in a statement.
“The continuing crackdown on Amnesty International India over the last two years and the complete freezing of bank accounts is not accidental. The constant harassment by government agencies including the Enforcement Directorate is a result of our unequivocal calls for transparency in the government, more recently for accountability of the Delhi police and the Government of India regarding the grave human rights violations in Delhi riots and Jammu & Kashmir. For a movement that has done nothing but raise its voices against injustice, this latest attack is akin to freezing dissent,” alleged Avinash Kumar, Executive Director of Amnesty International India.
In 2019, the ED had initiated an investigation against AI for violating the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). The government has stated that Amnesty International was never registered in India under the FCRA.
Earlier, Karnataka Police had registered a case against journalist Amnesty International India’s former Executive Director Aakar Patel for urging Muslims and Dalits to carry out the USA’s George Floyd-like protests in India.
Quoting a tweet by Colorado Times Recorder, Aakar Patel had tweeted that India Muslims, Dalits, Adivasis, women and poor also need to do protests like these. “We need protests like these. From Dalits and Muslims and Adivasis. And the poor. And women. World will notice. Protest is a craft,” he had tweeted. The original tweet carried a video clip showing thousands of people gathering near Colorado’s Capitol Building to protest against the alleged custodial murder of George Floyd.
Furthering the propaganda of Pakistan, at the behest of a group of US Democrats, Amnesty had participated in a US Congressional hearing on the alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir and launched a hate campaign against the Government of India. Amnesty has also been constantly trying to paint the anti-Hindu Delhi Riots a pogrom against Muslim riots, portraying Hindus as its perpetrators.
