Parliament logjam: Priyanka Gandhi demands Home Minister's statement

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Parliament deadlock would persist until the Home Minister's statement. Imran Masood accused the government of imposing a dictatorship over the FCRA Amendment Bill, aiming to suppress opposition and civil society.

Amid the ongoing logjam in Parliament, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday stated that the current deadlock between the government and the Opposition would continue until the Union Home Minister addresses the House.

Speaking to reporters here in the national capital, the Congress leader highlighted that a statement from the Union Home Minister is necessary to resolve the issue stalling parliamentary proceedings. "I think the deadlock will continue until the Union Home Minister gives a statement in Parliament," Priyanka Gandhi said. Her remarks come as both Houses of Parliament have faced repeated disruptions and adjournments over contentious issues, with Opposition parties demanding an official response from the government on the floor of the House.

Congress Leader Slams FCRA Bill, Alleges 'Dictatorship'

Earlier, Congress MP Imran Masood launched a sharp attack against the Central Government over the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) Amendment Bill and the upcoming delimitation exercise, accusing the ruling dispensation of attempting to establish an authoritarian regime and undermine democratic norms.

Speaking to ANI in the national capital, the Congress leader alleged that the Union Government is seeking total control over national institutions to suppress opposition voices and civil society organisations. "The government wants to impose a dictatorship. Dictatorship cannot work in this country. They want to destroy democracy, seeking total control over everything," Masood said. "Ours is a democratic country, and such things are not tolerated in a democracy."

Key Provisions of FCRA Amendment Bill 2026

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was reintroduced in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon Session. The Bill seeks to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, with the stated objective of enhancing transparency and accountability in the regulation of foreign contributions.

It 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.

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)

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