FCRA Amendment Bill 2026 sent to JPC amid strong Opposition protest

The FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026 has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for review amid strong opposition demands for its withdrawal. Congress, SP, and TMC allege it targets NGOs and minorities, a claim the government denies.

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was on Wednesday referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed examination amid strong Opposition demands for its withdrawal, with Congress, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress leaders alleging that the proposed changes could be used to target NGOs, minority institutions and organisations receiving foreign contributions. The government, however, defended the legislation and said the proposed amendments seek to ensure that foreign funds are used transparently and without compromising the national interest.

The Bill was formally referred to a 31-member JPC after Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai moved a motion in the Lok Sabha. The committee will comprise 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha and has been tasked with conducting an in-depth examination of the legislative provisions. The JPC will have to submit its report to Parliament by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session 2026. The motion also specified that the quorum for the committee's sittings would be one-third of its total membership. The development came amid an intense political confrontation over the Bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 and is currently under consideration. The revised FCRA Rules, 2026, were notified on June 22 and are in force. The FCRA regulates the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and organisations in India and seeks to ensure that such contributions are used for the purposes for which they are received.

Opposition Demands Bill's Withdrawal

However, Congress has maintained that referral to a JPC cannot substitute its demand for complete withdrawal of the legislation. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reiterated the party's position on Wednesday stating, "Our stance is that this bill should be withdrawn."

Congress Alleges Targeting of NGOs, Minorities

Congress MP and former party general secretary KC Venugopal alleged that the Bill had been brought at the last minute and accused the government of targeting NGOs and minorities. "This bill was brought at the last minute. At noon, we got a message from the Lok Sabha Secretary that Amit Shah is moving this bill, but Amit Shah remained absent even today. The MoS moved the resolution to send the bill to JPC," Venugopal told reporters outside Parliament. Venugopal said the government had avoided passing the legislation amid disruptions but maintained that the Opposition wanted the Bill withdrawn rather than merely referred for further scrutiny. "Instead of bulldozing the legislation in din, they are sending the bill to JPC. But our demand is to withdraw the bill. What is the purpose of the bill?" he asked. He also alleged that the government was following a double standard in dealing with organisations receiving foreign donations. "On one side, RSS is getting donations from all over the world without registration. On the other side, you are targeting the NGOs and minorities, those who are doing good work in the areas of health and education. This is not acceptable," Venugopal said.

Congress MP Hibi Eden said the Opposition had not asked for a JPC and instead wanted the amendments to be withdrawn, alleging that the proposed legislation amounted to an attack on NGOs and minorities. "The entire Opposition has strongly opposed the FCRA Bill being referred to the JPC. We have not demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee or to forward it to any other standing committees. We have clearly demanded the withdrawal of the amendments because of many major facts. These amendments are an organised attack against the minorities and NGOs of this country," Eden said. He also raised concerns over the system through which organisations receiving foreign funds operate their bank accounts. He said, "If transparency is one such factor, there has been a rule which was amended by the present government, in which the Parliament Street branch of the State Bank of India has been declared the branch where all the NGOs, all the organisations receiving foreign funds should be registered and should start a bank account, and the money would flow only through those accounts. So the Home Ministry have full control over these institutions, over these accounts, and it is quite unfortunate that the government is bringing in this amendment."

Samajwadi Party Echoes Opposition Concerns

Samajwadi Party president and MP Akhilesh Yadav also opposed the legislation and alleged that it was aimed at suppressing minorities. "They want to bring the FCRA Bill to suppress the minorities. They want to bring it only to serve their own interests," Yadav said. He further alleged that the proposed law primarily targets minorities and questioned why similar regulations were not being framed for other categories of funds. "What is FCRA? FCRA only targets minorities. All the important bills that are being brought are against minorities. If FCRA can come, then other funds also exist--why can't rules be made regarding them?" he said.

SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav opposed the introduction of the Bill and argued that voluntary organisations have played a major role in providing education and other services in tribal and economically disadvantaged regions. "This bill should never have been brought. The amount of work done by NGOs in Jharkhand, Gujarat's Dang area, and other tribal areas in the country has not been done by many governments till now," he said. Ram Gopal Yadav warned that restrictions on such organisations could have a direct impact on vulnerable communities. "Stopping this means that millions of poor people and children will be deprived of education and various other facilities," he said.

SP MP Iqra Hasan said the proposed legislation raised concerns over the constitutional rights of minorities and alleged that the amendments could centralise control over institutions receiving funds. "Our country is governed by the Constitution, which is secular in nature. All minorities in the country have the right to propagate and practice their respective religions--a practice that has existed for a long time. Now, however, there is a concerted effort to centralize everything, ensuring that only those institutions favoured by the government can receive funds and operate, while the licences of those not favoured will be invalidated," Hasan said. She said the Opposition was therefore seeking withdrawal of the Bill but welcomed the opportunity for a detailed examination after it was sent to the JPC. "A country cannot function with such arbitrary actions; that is why we are demanding the withdrawal of this Bill. However, since it has been referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), a better discussion will take place there, and I hope that all the contentious issues and points will be examined in great depth," she said.

SP MP Dimple Yadav also said the referral to the JPC could allow greater scrutiny. "If it is being sent to the JPC, it is good. With this bill, the government could have intimidated the organisations which might not have been working according to them," she said.

Trinamool Congress Calls for Withdrawal

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee also called for the Bill's withdrawal, alleging that the government was politicising the issue and using amendments to divert attention from crises. "They are politicising the FCRA Bill. Just as amendments are introduced every two years, the same thing happened with NEET. Whenever a crisis arises, the BJP government tries to shift the focus by introducing an amendment," Banerjee said.

Congress MP Pawan Khera said the Opposition would seek clarity on the circumstances behind the legislation. "We will discuss tomorrow under whose pressure this is happening," Khera said.

Congress MP Mallu Ravi said his party would continue to oppose the legislation even after the JPC submits its report. "We don't want it to be passed. It has gone to the JPC. Let the JPC study it and then submit it to Parliament. Then we will oppose it," Ravi said.

Government Defends Move, Cites National Interest

The government, meanwhile, defended its decision to refer the Bill to the JPC and rejected the Opposition's allegations that the legislation was directed against minorities. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Opposition should welcome the government's decision to allow a detailed parliamentary examination and asserted that there was nothing in the Bill targeting minority institutions. Rijiju also urged the Opposition to view the JPC referral as an opportunity to discuss the proposed amendments in detail.

BJP MP Dinesh Sharma said national interest must remain central to the use of foreign funds. "The use of funds should only be from a positive perspective and not compromise the national interest. All these points have been kept in mind," Sharma said. He said the JPC process would facilitate a quick decision on the legislation. "When this bill goes to the JPC, a quick decision will be made, and it will be implemented soon," he said.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya welcomed the referral, describing the JPC process as an important mechanism for parliamentary scrutiny. "The FCRA is an important Bill. Rightfully, it has been sent to the JPC for greater Parliamentary scrutiny. Every Bill that has been referred to the JPC always comes back with more opinions, more refinement than what was sent to it earlier," Surya said. He expressed confidence that the committee would examine the concerns and improve the proposed legislation. "I'm sure the JPC will exercise its wisdom and make the Bill much suited for all the issues that it wants to address. The JPC will make the Bill even more robust and more refined by exercising the Parliamentary diligence," he said.

Union Minister Suresh Gopi also defended the government's approach to consultations on the legislation. "If the government has to talk on the FCRA Bill, it will talk only to stakeholders and not brokers," he said.

JPC to Scrutinise Contentious Bill

The political debate over the Bill has centred on the competing claims of accountability and national interest on one side and concerns over the impact on NGOs, civil society groups and minority institutions on the other. Opposition parties have alleged that the proposed changes could increase government control over organisations receiving foreign contributions and could be used selectively against institutions that do not align with the government's position. The government has maintained that the amendments are intended to strengthen oversight and ensure that foreign contributions are not misused or diverted in ways that could affect national interest.

The referral to the JPC gives both sides an opportunity to present detailed submissions before Parliament takes up the legislation again. While the committee is expected to examine the provisions and concerns raised by stakeholders, Congress and several Opposition parties have made clear that they intend to oppose the Bill even after the committee completes its review. The legislation will now be examined by a committee comprising members of both Houses before its report is placed before Parliament during the Winter Session. The FCRA framework governs the receipt and use of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and organisations, with the stated objective of ensuring that such funds are utilised for their declared and permitted purposes. The current political standoff over the amendment comes at a time when the government is seeking stronger scrutiny of foreign funding while Opposition parties are pressing for safeguards for civil society and minority institutions.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)