The FCRA Bill 2026 is likely to be sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further examination, government sources said. The proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 has faced opposition from several political parties and religious organisations.
The Opposition has been demanding the withdrawal of the Bill. Civil society and religious bodies, especially the Church, have also expressed concerns about the proposed legislation.
They fear that the asset-vesting provisions could be used to penalise past investments. Several Church bodies have raised their concerns in meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the last few days.
A Union Minister said, “There is nothing in the Bill to oppose it. It is not against any community. However, we are ready to send the Bill to a JPC for further deliberation.”
Opposition parties have demanded the complete withdrawal of the Bill. These parties include the Congress, TMC, Left parties and DMK.
However, sources said the government’s decision to refer the Bill to a JPC could help resolve the standoff. The monsoon session is scheduled to end on August 13.
A CPM MP said, “Through this Bill, the government is not trying to regulate the use of foreign contributions. It is actually trying to regulate the organisations receiving them. That is not acceptable. The provisions of the Bill are draconian. We want the Bill to be withdrawn completely. But if the government does not want to withdraw the Bill, we are okay with it being sent to the JPC.”
The Congress too has maintained that the Bill should be withdrawn although sources said the party would be agreeable to its referral to a JPC.
DMK MP P Wilson met Shah last week with a delegation of Church leaders and handed over a memorandum expressing concerns over provisions of the Bill being perceived as adverse to the Christian community. The memorandum had sought withdrawal of the Bill or its reference to a JPC.
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma too met the Union Home Minister and conveyed concerns of the state’s Christian community.
An AAP MP said the government’s argument that only a small fraction of FCRA contributions actually went to Christian NGOs missed the larger issue. “A law passed by Parliament will outlive the government of the day. It will have far-reaching consequences,” the MP said.
