PUCL general secretary Y P Chhibbar said in a statement here on Sunday that the FCRA prohibits an NGO from assuming the character of a political organisation. A comment of political nature did not warrant the drastic step of proceeding under either Section 5 or 10 of the FCRA.

``Freedom of speech and expression during election periods needs to be more expansive, for that is the period when candid comments are made and questions raised, however inconvenient or embarrassing they may be,'' the PUCL said.

It regretted that instead of answering the questions raised by these NGOs in an advertisement, the party concerned had instead got the Home Ministry to initiate the ``ill-conceived proceedings''.