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Greenpeace member again denied entry into India

by IBNS 08 Jun 2015, 08:29 am

New Delhi, June 8 (IBNS) In another controversy over Greenpeace India, the NGO has alleged that one of its international staff members has been refused entry into India despite having a valid business visa.

Greenpeace India Programme Director  Divya Raghunandan said  Aaron Gray-Block, the person in question, was refused entry into India on Saturday and no reason  was given by the immigration officials for the decision.

"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," Raghunandan told the media.

"There is absolutely no reason why one of the staff members should be treated in such an arbitrary way, and we expect the Ministry of Home Affairs to offer a full explanation. We are forced to wonder if all international staff of Greenpeace will now be prevented from entering the country? If the Home Minister Rajnath Singh has a stand on this, then we would like him to state it clearly," she said.

"The treatment of Aaron Gray-Block is just the latest in a series of attempts by the Indian government to obstruct the work of the environmental group. Greenpeace India faces a coordinated crackdown orchestrated by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs. On 9 April, Indian 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," the NGO said in a statement.

A Greenpeace India activist was stopped from boarding a flight to London by immigration officials in New Delhi in January 2014

The NGO accused  the government of intimidation. But  officials said that she was barred from leaving the country due to a look-out circular against her.