Dismissing allegations of political ideology behind the funding restrictions on US-based charity Compassion International, India on Thursday said that a fully transparent process was followed in the case and the organisation will have to follow local laws.
"Any NGO -- foreign or Indian, has to operate in India -- or for that matter anywhere else in the world -- within the laws of the country. The process regarding the matter you mentioned has been very transparent," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Gopal Baglay said during his weekly media briefing.
"There is a well-established legal framework for NGOs to conduct their operations in India. India has one of the largest NGO networks in the world," he added.
The CI, that has been operating in India since 1968 and allegedly involved in conversion, has announced that it will end its programme in India on March 15.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has placed the American NGO in the Prior Reference Category of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, which requires foreign donor to get prior clearance of the ministry before transfering money to any organisation in India.
To a query on the involvement of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in this matter, Baglay said: "Any such suppositions are completely extraneous to the matter."
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"I do not think the activities or views of private bodies, views may, can or do influence government's policies or actions."
The US State Department on Wednesday expressed concern over the closure of the operations of CI in India and sought "fairer process" for foreign NGOs in the country.
--IANS
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