CSE files FIR on Cyber crime
Is this yet another dirty trick from the diesel lobby?

NEW DELHI APRIL 17, 2002: It has just come to the notice of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) that an email message is in wide circulation from a portal called dhamakapataka@morningindia.com maligning CSE and misrepresenting the facts of its campaign on CNG. It is a dangerous misinformation campaign. Since this message seems to have a wide outreach, we are keen to set the picture right.

The views expressed in this email are supposedly from an Independent News Agency. It is a complete fabrication and a deliberate attempt to create confusion at this crucial juncture when the Supreme Court has demanded urgent implementation of its order on moving vehicles to CNG. Taking immediate action, CSE has today filed a First Information Report (FIR) for defamation and misrepresentation of its stand on the CNG programme in Delhi.

It is evident from the content of the mail that this is an intentional act of defamation against the institution, its director Sunita Narain and other members including its coordinator of Right to Clean Air Campaign Anumita Roychowdhury. The message
says that CSE has issued public statements retracting its stand on CNG and tendering an apology to the citizens of Delhi.

This is completely untrue. This seems like yet another devious ploy of the diesel lobby to scuttle the CNG implementation programme, this time directly targeting the CSE campaign on CNG. By creating confusion in the minds of the citizens' the
detractors perhaps hope to shake peoples' confidence in the CNG strategy. This reminds us of yet another whisper campaign a year ago floating a rumour that CNG causes cancer.

CSE's position on the CNG strategy is well known and well documented. This defamatory message should be completely ignored. We are firm in our stand on the merits of the CNG programme.