Lawyers Collective, a legal aid NGO, has criticised the Home Ministry’s decision to cancel its Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence, saying the move is “only a continuation of the harassment and persecution of the organisation, especially of its two trustees, Indira Jaising and Anand Grover, senior lawyers.”
“The cancellation order is on the grounds that the NGO allegedly violated the terms and conditions of its registration certificate, provisions of the FCRA, and most importanty, acted against ‘public interest’,” its statement said.
‘Not backed by facts’
“The order repeats what is alleged in the show-cause-cum-suspension order dated May 31, 2016, and disregards the NGO’s replies in fact and in law. At the same time, certain new allegations have surfaced such as ‘diversion’ of foreign contribution and utilisation for ‘personal gain’, which are not borne out by the facts or the records, and are absolutely false and defamatory. It is preposterous for the MHA to suggest that the LC has no record of work, when the Government of India itself has acknowledged the LC’s contributions towards advancing women’s rights, securing access to affordable medicines, protecting the rights of HIV-positive people as well as transgenders and continues to call upon the LC for its legal inputs,” the statement said.
“Both Ms. Jaising and Mr. Grover have been taking up sensitive cases, in their professional capacity, against the powerful functionaries of the ruling establishment, including Amit Shah. The LC perceives this to be a clear attack on the right to legal representation of persons who need legal services the most and a gross abuse of powers by the government of the day,” it said.
Legal options
“The LC is exploring all legal options to challenge the cancellation order, including its defamatory contents, and will take necessary action at an appropriate time,” the statement said.
