DMK backs demand to withdraw FCRA Amendment Bill, repeal Section 15

DMK chief MK Stalin has urged the Centre to withdraw the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 and repeal Section 15 of the 2010 Act. He backed a minority forum's demand presented to Home Minister Amit Shah for the Bill's withdrawal.

DMK Urges Withdrawal of FCRA Bill

DMK president MK Stalin on Saturday urged the Union Government to withdraw the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 and repeal Section 15 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.

In a post on X, Stalin said a delegation of the Joint Action Forum on Minorities, led by DMK Rajya Sabha MP P. Wilson and comprising religious leaders from various denominations, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on August 6 and pressed for withdrawal of the Bill.

"The delegation of the Joint Action Forum on Minorities, led by our MP Thiru. @PWilsonDMK and including top religious leaders from various denominations in India, met the Hon'ble Home Minister on 6.8.2026. They urged the Hon'ble Minister to withdraw the #FCRA Amendment Bill 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha in March 2026, and to repeal Section 15 of FCRA or refer the Bill, along with a comprehensive review of the workings of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee," he said.

Stalin said the DMK supports the Forum's demand for either withdrawal of the proposed legislation or its referral, along with a comprehensive review of the FCRA's functioning, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. "The DMK, which has opposed the provisions of the proposed Bill from the very beginning due to their far-reaching implications, endorses this request," he said.

The former Tamil Nadu CM appealed to the Centre to take necessary steps on the Bill in the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament. "I appeal to the Union Government to consider the Forum's plea in the interests of the minorities' rights and take necessary steps in the ongoing #MonsoonSession of the Parliament," Stalin said.

Provisions and Proposed Changes

Section 15 of the FCRA, 2010, empowers the Central Government to take control of and manage the foreign contributions and assets of an organisation or person whose registration certificate has been cancelled.

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, seeks to establish a Designated Authority tasked with overseeing foreign contributions and assets acquired through such capital in instances where an entity's FCRA registration stands cancelled, surrendered or lapsed. The proposed legislation explicitly mandates that if such assets comprise a place of worship, the Designated Authority is required to maintain its religious character intact. Furthermore, it seeks to scale down the maximum penalty for statutory violations from five years' imprisonment to one year.

FCRA Framework and Statistics

The FCRA framework governs the intake and utilisation of overseas funding across non-governmental organisations, charitable entities, academic institutions, religious trusts and affiliated bodies.

Ministry of Home Affairs figures indicate that 13,520 entities received foreign remittances totalling Rs 55,741 crore between 2019 and 2022. Official records as of July 15, 2026, reveal that 14,449 active FCRA registrations were operational in the country, whereas 22,498 registrations stood cancelled and 15,212 had expired. (ANI)

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