Greenpeace worker Priya Pillai 'offloaded' at Delhi airport

Greenpeace India senior campaigner, Priya Pillai on Sunday was stopped from boarding a flight to London at Delhi airport by the immigration authorities.

Greenpeace in a statement said that Priya Pillai was denied permission to board flight to London, where she had a scheduled meeting with British MPs on campaigning with local communities in Mahan, Madhya Pradesh.

The NGO claimed that the incident bordered on the violation of her rights as she has a valid business visa to visit London.

"Priya Pillai was travelling to the UK to address MPs about the people of Mahan whose rights are threatened by a proposed Essar coal mine," Greenpeace India said in a tweet.

 "I was stopped at immigration and my passport stamped even though I have no criminal convictions!," Priya Pillai said on her Twitter account.

"The immigration officials told her they are not opposed to her travelling, but they are just following orders from the Indian government," said Greenpeace in a statement.

The NGO said it has written to the government demanding an explanation as to why its campaigner has been banned from leaving India.

"We have written to @HMOIndia & Airport Authority to explain the legal basis for the ban on @PriyaPpillai leaving the country," tweeted Greenpeace .

This is the second similar incident in four months involving a Greenpeace activist. In September last year, Greenpeace campaigner, Ben Hargreaves, a UK national, was refused entry to India.