The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday suspended the registration of Greenpeace India under the Foreign Currency Regulation Act (FCRA) for six months. All seven bank accounts of the organisation have been frozen and a show cause notice has been sent to them asking why its registration should not be terminated. A report by The Hindu states that security agencies had recommended to the MHA the cancellation of Greenpeace India's FCRA registration after terming it a "threat to national economic security."A copy of the order on the MHA website says the acceptance of foreign contribution by Greenpeace India Society has "prejudicially" affected the public interest, in violation of Section 12(4)(f)(iii) of FCRA 2010.It also states the following reasons :1. The most glaring example of violation according to MHA is that opening balance for 2008-09 which was reported as nil in the auditor's certificate was actually Rs. 6,60,31,783. Greenpeace India Society(GIS) claimed it to be a typographical error.2. GIS violated Section 8(1)(b) of FCRA 2010 by incurring more than 50% of the foreign contribution on administrative expenditure during financial year 2011-12 and 2012-13. 3. GIS funded legal costs (for seeking bail and writ petitions) of an associated Indian NGO and activists, thereby, violating FCRA rules. 4. In 2010-11, GIS paid Rs. 8 lakh to the employees of Greenpeace Environment Trust, a separate trust with a different PAN number in violation of Section 7 of the FCRA.5. MHA says GIS willfully suppressed facts about payment of salary to a foreign GP activist Greg Muttitt, (salary of Euro 56,951).6. The GIS shifted its office and all its activities from Chennai to Bengaluru, also replaced 50% or more of its executive members without any prior intimation/consent to the Ministry.Greenpeace India released a statement stating that it has so far not received any official communication from the MHA and that it is seeking legal counsel on the information that is available on the MHA's website.“This is a smear, pure and simple. All of this was put before the Delhi High Court when we brought a case against the Centre, and the court decided in our favour. This feels like a revealing moment, one that says much more about the MHA than it does about Greenpeace. We believe in the Indian legal system. A campaign is being waged against dissent, but we will not be cowed”, Samit Aich, Greenpeace India Executive Director, said."We will continue to work towards clean air, clean water and inclusive development in India because we believe that every citizen is entitled to it. Our work is supported by people of this country and 70 percent of Greenpeace India’s funds come from Indian donors," he added.Tweet Follow @thenewsminute