After the Tamil Nadu Registrar of Societies (TNRoS) cancelled the registration of Greenpeace India, the environmental NGO is set to move the Madras High Court to challenge the order, said reports.
The TNRoS, under which Greenpeace India was registered, had issued the order to cancel the NGO's registration on Wednesday.
"While several international leaders, including the United Nations Secretary General, have recently upheld the importance of civil society in healthy democracies, this (cancellation) notice is the latest assault on free speech in India," said Greenpeace India in a statement.
Greenpeace India Interim Executive Director Vinuta Gopal said the move was part of the Union Home Ministry's clumsy tactics to suppress freedom of speech.
"The RoS is clearly acting under directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in Delhi, which has been trying to shut Greenpeace India down for over a year now," The Times of India quoted Gopal as saying.
"The MHA's clumsy tactics to suppress free speech and dissenting voices are turning into a major national and international embarrassment for this government. This is an extension of the deep intolerance for differing viewpoints that sections of this government seem to harbour," she added.
Gopal said she has faith in the judiciary and that the NGO would overcome the cancellation order.
