Oppn Calls FCRA Amendment Bill ‘Malafide, Undemocratic’; BJP Says ‘in National Interest’

NEW DELHI:
Opposition parties on Wednesday criticised the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government for the introduction of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill (FCRA), 2026, in the Lok Sabha, calling the Bill ‘malafide’ and ‘undemocratic’. While the BJP, in its defence, said the Bill aims to regulate foreign funding and is in ‘national interest’.

The Bill was introduced on March 25 by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, during the ongoing Budget Session.

Congress MP Manish Tewari termed the Bill “arbitrary, malafide and capricious”.

He told reporters, “When the FCRA Amendment Bill was introduced, I had opposed it on the first principles of constitutionalism. The Bill is arbitrary, malafide and capricious. It does not measure on the test stone of constitutionality.”

He said that the Bill offends Article 14, Article 19, Article 21, Article 300A of the Indian Constitution and therefore needs to be “strongly opposed”.

Congress MP Hibi Eden said, “The Bill is draconian in nature.” He claimed that it is an invasion into the lives of the minority communities.

Eden cited that there are NGOs that reach places where the government is not able to reach like Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity.

“This particular amendment will make sure that any kind of delay in renewal, any kind of mishap, the government can take over these institutions, its very unfortunate. It is an agenda of the RSS and Sangh Parivar forces and we strongly object this. Congress is demanding the withdrawal of this particular law,” he said.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram alleged that the BJP-led government wants to throttle civil society.

He told IANS, “The FCRA Amendment Bill is to throttle civil society. They (the government) do not want any voices of dissent. The country must realise that by throttling civil society we are undermining democracy. There is no transparency in PM-CARES Fund and electoral bonds, institutional collapse is happening.”

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Samajwadi Party MP, Dimple Yadav, termed the Bill “undemocratic”.

She said, “This government is constantly pulling the strings on all institutions. It wants that whether government or non-government institutions, all of them should function according to the wishes of the government. It is totally undemocratic. That is why they are bringing this Amendment Bill.”

Highlighting his disapproval, Samajwadi Party MP Ramgopal Yadav said, “Whatever Bill is brought by this government, it will be against the people of the country.”

According to Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP, N.K. Premachandran, the Bill “indirectly violates the basic fundamental rights of the religious minorities” in India.

“The Waqf Amendment Bill was also introduced and passed by the House, where if the Collector is satisfied that a particular property is a Waqf property, then the government can take over that property,” he told IANS.

He further said, “Here, under the FCRA Amendment Bill, if the registration certificate under the FCRA is cancelled, withdrawn or it is suspended, then immediately the designated authority appointed by the central government can take over the entire property accrued on the basis of the registration certificate under FCRA. It is totally against the basic principles of law.”

“We are demanding that let the Bill be referred to a select committee, let us hear the observations of the stakeholders also”, Premachandran added.

However, coming in defence of the FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026, Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi said that the Bill aims to prevent the misuse of foreign funds.

He told IANS, “Its objective is very clear — to prevent the misuse of foreign funds against national security and the country’s interests. It also aims to make the NGOs answerable and transparent in the handling of foreign funds. The properties of institutions who have lost their licence will be seized and also it (the Bill) will deal with other issues of national interest.”

Moreover, Saraogi accused the Opposition of “mortgaging the country”.

He said, “Look, whether it is the Congress or the Communist parties, they had, in a way, mortgaged the country to foreign powers. What were the conditions then? Now, when the FCRA Amendment Bill is being introduced, why are they feeling uncomfortable?”

“Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, this FCRA Amendment Bill is being bought in the interest of the country,” he claimed.