US ambassador warns of 'chilling effect' of crackdown on NGOs

May 07, 2015 08:29

The US ambassador to India Richard R Verma rebuked the government's crackdown on non-governmental organisations, saying it could have a "chilling effect" on civil society.

After both Greenpeace and the US Ford Foundation were hit with funding restrictions, ambassador Verma voiced rare public criticism by Washington of Narendra Modi's administration, in a speech on India-US relations. "I read with some concern the recent press reports on challenges faced by NGOs operating in India," Verma said. "Because a vibrant civil society is so important to both of our democratic traditions, I do worry about the potentially chilling effects of these regulatory steps focused on NGOs."

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