New Delhi:Hours after Amnesty International claimed it halted India operations citing government 'witch-hunt', the central government on Tuesday said that the stand taken and statements made by the international NGO are unfortunate, exaggerated and far from the truth.
According to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), all the "glossy statements" about humanitarian work and "speaking truth to power" are "nothing but a ploy to divert attention from their activities which were in clear contravention of laid down Indian laws."
"Such statements are also an attempt to extraneously influence the course of investigations by multiple agencies into the irregularities and illegalities carried out over the last few years," MHA said in a release.
MHA said that Amnesty is free to continue humanitarian work in India, as is being done by many other organisations.
"However, India, by settled law, does not allow interference in domestic political debates by entities funded by foreign donations. This law applies equally to all and it shall apply to Amnesty International as well. Amnesty's failure to comply with local regulations does not entitle them to make comments on the democratic and plural character of India," it said.
Read:|Amnesty halts India operations, cites freezing of accounts on 'unfounded' allegations
"The stand taken and the statements made by Amnesty International are unfortunate, exaggerated and far from the truth. Amnesty International had received permission under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) only once and that too 20 years ago (December 19, 2000). Since then Amnesty International, despite its repeated applications, has been denied FCRA approval by successive governments since as per law it is not eligible to get such approval," it added.