NGO Greenpeace on Thursday demanded an affidavit from the Centre seeking the reason for the imposition of a travel ban on its employee Priya Pillai, after media reports stated that the government had prohibited her travelling abroad for 'presenting a negative image of the country'.
"We will wait for the government's official statement before the court. However, if the government is so concerned about its international image, it should think twice before suppressing the free speech and fundamental democratic rights of its citizens, as it has done with Priya Pillai," Greenpeace India executive director Samit Aich said.
"It should also do a better job of safeguarding the constitutional rights and livelihoods of its disadvantaged tribal communities, who are all too often forced to give up their forests for coal mining, a destructive, dirty and corrupt industry," he added. ast month, Pillai was barred from boarding a flight to London, with immigration authorities stating that her name is a part of a database given by the Government of India, and the people on the list are not allowed to leave the country.
Pillai's case is due to heard by the Delhi High Court on February 18.