Amnesty International working on commercial lines, earning huge profit: BJP

Rejecting Amnesty International's claims of "witch-hunt" by the Indian government, Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday alleged that it is working on commercial lines, earning a huge profit adding that acting in bad faith will not be permitted to any Indian or foreign organisations.

Rejecting Amnesty International's claims of "witch-hunt" by the Indian government, Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday alleged that it is working on commercial lines, earning a huge profit adding that acting in bad faith will not be permitted to any Indian or foreign orgsations.

Addressing a press conference here at the party headquarters, newly appointed BJP national spokesperson Rajyavardhan Rathore said, "Amnesty International is a non-government orgsation which works in the field of the human rights. It is headquartered in London. Today, they have announced they are stopping their work in India as the Indian government has frozen their bank accounts. They have said that due to critical reports on human rights, the government is acting out of revenge. It is not true."

"Amnesty International is working on commercial lines and earning a huge profit. Shady money transfer and suspected transfer of money are happening in Amnesty International. If any orgsation whether it is Indian or foreign wants to receive funds from foreign countries, it has to follow Indian government rules. Any orgsation can function in India, but it has to be within their legal ambit. Wearing a veil of honesty and acting in bad faith is not something we will permit to Indian or foreign orgsations," Rathore added.

Rathore said that to circumvent the rules of the country in which you are working is "violating the very norm and rules of the land."

"To find a via media, to circumvent the rules of the country in which you're working, is violating the very norm and rules of the land. If you are doing illegal operations, you will not be allowed to continue. Multiple illegalities have been undertaken by Amnesty, and therefore they have no right to lecture anyone on propriety, especially when it faces investigations of its own, with proper actions. How is Amnesty receiving foreign funds without having permission for it? Any other orgsation, Indian or international, has to follow certain rules and laws," he said.

Rathore said that in 2009, Amnesty International's licence had been rejected by the UPA government for receiving "foreign funds and their operations were suspended."

"There have been various questions raised during the UPA times which have been answered--on three separate instances stating that their very method of collecting information is subjective and questionable and there's a bias against India. 10 out of 13 office bearers of Amnesty International in Nepal resigned because of provoking separatism in Nepal in 2015. In Morocco, 2 of Amnesty's people were arrested because they were plotting against the state."

Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs said, "The stand taken and statements by Amnesty International are unfortunate, exaggerated and far from the truth. Amnesty International had received permission under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) only once and that too 20 years ago."

"Since then Amnesty International has been denied FCRA approval by successive governments since it is not eligible to get such approval. In order to circumvent FCRA regulations, Amnesty UK remitted large amounts of money to 4 entities registered in India, by classifying it as FDI. Amnesty is free to continue humtarian work in India. However, India doesn't 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," it said.

( With inputs from ANI )