Published On : Thu, Jun 2nd, 2016

Will take govt to court, says Indira Jaising on NGO licence suspension

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indira jaisinghNew Delhi: Days after the Union Home Ministry suspended for six months the FCRA registration of non-government organisation Lawyers Collective for alleged violations of foreign funding norms, its founder Indira Jaising has termed the government action as mala fide and said that she will challenge notices in the court.

The Home Ministry had alleged that there were discrepancies in the foreign contributions cited by the association in its returns filed with the MHA, and that Jaising had violated FCRA norms by receiving foreign funds when she was a government servant.

It also said that the association had organised rallies or dharnas in 2009, as well as in 2011 and 2014, and that “organising such rallies/dharnas with political hue and colour” using foreign funds was not allowed under FCRA, 1976 that was in force in 2009.

Jaising, who served as Assistant Solicitor General during the United Progressive Alliance regime, has called the government order an an act of “vindictiveness” and “nothing but an attempt to intimidate”.

In a statement, Lawyers’ Collective linked the government order to Jaising and her husband Anand Grover representing various people against BJP president Amit Shah and others in the party and government in court cases. “This is nothing but gross misuse of FCRA which is being used to suppress dissent,” the NGO said.