FCRA Bill sent to joint panel amid protests; Rijiju challenges Opposition to cite anti-minority provision
The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a motion to refer the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a 31-member joint parliamentary committee (JPC) for further scrutiny, amid strong protests by Opposition parties and their demand for its withdrawal.
The motion, moved by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, provides for a committee comprising 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha members will be nominated by Speaker Om Birla, while the Rajya Sabha members will be nominated by Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan. The committee has been asked to submit its report to the Lok Sabha by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session of Parliament in 2026.
Before the motion was passed, Congress MP K.C. Venugopal said the Opposition had received information about the bill being sent to a joint committee only recently. He alleged that the legislation was aimed at minorities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). "This is clearly for targeting minorities and NGOs. We demand that the Bill be withdrawn," he said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju rejected the charge, noting that the Opposition parties themselves had been demanding that the bill be sent to a House committee. "If they have any reservations about the Bill, they can speak in the JPC. This is not targeted at any minority community," he said.
BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who was in the chair, said the government had agreed to the demand, and there would be a "threadbare discussion" in the joint committee.
Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav said the entire Opposition was against the bill and took a dig at Home Minister Amit Shah for not being present in the House. Referring to Mr. Rijiju's assertion that the legislation was not against minorities, Mr. Yadav said, "He should clarify which Bill they brought till date was not against minorities."
DMK MP T.R. Baalu also demanded that the bill be withdrawn. Responding to the allegations, Mr. Rijiju said he was making the assertion with "responsibility" and challenged Mr. Yadav to point out any provision in the bill that was against minorities. "I challenge Akhilesh ji to show one provision which is against minorities. Lies are being spread in the country. This country is not a banana republic. There should be rules," he said.
The Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, proposes tighter government oversight over NGOs and foreign funding. It seeks to create a designated authority to manage and dispose of assets if an organisation loses its FCRA licence.
Opposition parties have alleged that certain provisions could affect legitimate foreign funding for Christian NGOs and minority-run social welfare and educational institutions. The government has maintained that the proposed legislation is not religion-specific and is aimed at regulating foreign contributions.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma had earlier urged the Centre to refer the bill to a joint committee for detailed examination, while Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma had also raised concerns over its provisions. The bill has also drawn criticism from some U.S. lawmakers, who expressed concerns over its potential impact on Christian organisations and civil society groups. India has rejected the criticism, describing the proposed changes as an internal legislative matter.
In a separate development, the report of an inquiry committee that investigated allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma — against whom removal proceedings were initiated over the alleged discovery of unaccounted cash from his official residence — was also laid in the Lok Sabha during the proceedings.
