PTI
New Delhi/Alappuzha
A discussion in the Lok Sabha on a bill to amend the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) scheduled for Wednesday was deferred amid a political slugfest, with the Opposition alleging that the new measures could curb minority rights and tighten government control over NGOs.
The BJP, on its part, defended the bill as necessary for national security and transparency, and asserted it does not target any religious organisation.
As the rival parties traded charges over the FCRA (Amendment) Bill, 2026, just ahead of the Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, sources said it is unlikely to come up in the ongoing Budget session. The session is likely to end on Thursday amid indications that two or three more sittings could be held later this month.
At present, approximately 16,000 associations are registered under the FCRA and receive around Rs 22,000 crore annually, according to the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill.
In the Lok Sabha, the Bill was listed for consideration and passage. But as soon as the Question Hour began at 11 am, Opposition members, mainly from Kerala, started raising slogans against the provisions of the bill.
The Bill to amend the FCRA was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, with the government making it clear that individuals engaging in forced religious conversion through foreign funding will not be spared.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Bill seeks to protect national security and interest and asserted it was not aimed against any religion or organisation.
The move was aimed at preventing misuse of foreign contributions, Rijiju said in a bid to assuage the concerns of the opposition, as he accused the Congress and Left parties of misleading people of Kerala, which goes to polls on April 9.
He said though the bill had been listed in Wednesday’s official agenda for the Lok Sabha, it was not being taken up for discussion on the day.
“I had told the Congress party yesterday that since the bill has been introduced, it has been listed for consideration and passage for Wednesday. But, today the FCRA (Amendment) Bill is not being taken up for discussion,” Rijiju said.
He later told reporters that the decision was based on legislative priorities and not politics.
Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the Centre will not proceed with the proposed amendments without addressing concerns raised by various sections, including Christians.
Defending the amendments. BJP MP Dinesh Sharma rejected the Opposition’s charge that the bill targets minorities.
“The government does not differentiate between minority and majority as the opposition does. National security is the government’s foremost priority,” he said.
Opposition parties, however, mounted a strong attack on the bill. Several church heads have also voiced serious concern.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the Centre of “ignoring” the concerns of minority communities over the FCRA amendment and alleged that the move was driven by “political motives”.
Addressing a press conference in Alappuzha in Kerala, he said the provisions in the amendment would adversely affect minorities and institutions run by them, warning that even a failure to submit accounts could lead to attachment of their properties.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore claimed that opposition unity forced the government to withhold the FCRA Amendment Bill for now, alleging that the move exposed its “double standards”.
Congress MP Manish Tewari termed the amendments “unconstitutional”.
“It is arbitrary, malafide, and capricious. It does not measure on the touchstone of constitutionality,” he said.
