Govt to move motion to refer FCRA Bill to JPC; Kharge supports move

The Central Government is set to move a motion to refer the FCRA Amendment Bill to a JPC, a move backed by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge. However, the Samajwadi Party has opposed the bill, with leaders alleging it aims to suppress minorities.

The Central Government is expected to move a motion in Parliament today to refer the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) Amendment Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) at 2 PM, sources said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, on the demand to send the FCRA Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said, "It should be sent."

About the FCRA Bill

The FCRA regulates the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and organisations in the country and seeks to ensure that such contributions are used for the purposes for which they are received.

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 and is currently under consideration of Parliament. The revised FCRA Rules, 2026, were notified on June 22 and are in force.

Both houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, were adjourned till 2 pm.

Opposition Slams Proposed Legislation

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday alleged that the proposed FCRA Bill was aimed at suppressing minorities and accused the government of pursuing policies in its own interest.

"They want to bring the FCRA Bill to suppress the minorities. They want to bring it only to serve their own interests," Yadav said.

The Samajwadi Party leader's remarks came amid a political debate over the proposed legislation and its implications for organisations receiving foreign contributions. He alleged that the government's approach towards the legislation was motivated by its own interests rather than wider public concerns.

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav also opposed the Bill, saying that the bill should not have been introduced, arguing that NGOs have played a major role in providing education and other services in tribal and economically disadvantaged areas.

Speaking to ANI, Yadav said that the voluntary organisations and missionaries had carried out extensive work in areas such as Jharkhand and Gujarat's Dang region.

"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," Yadav said.

He said that the restrictions affecting such organisations can impact poor people and children who depend on them for education and other facilities.

"Stopping this means that millions of poor people and children will be deprived of education and various other facilities," the SP MP said.

The remarks come amid discussions in Parliament over the FCRA amendments, while the Opposition has raised concerns over the implications of changes governing foreign contributions to organisations operating in India.

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