Govt defers debate on FCRA bill after stir by Oppn, row in Kerala

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like New Delhi: The government on Wednesday didn’t bring the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha after protests by the Opposition and a controversy in poll-bound Kerala. Govt defers debate on FCRA bill after stir by Oppn, row in KeralaThe bill had evoked sharp reactions from Opposition leaders, particularly the Kerala lawmakers, as it was feared that Christian groups might be targeted under the new law. A controversial provision stated that the government can appoint a “designated authority” to take over, manage, or sell assets created from foreign funds by an non-governmental organisation whose licence under FCRA was cancelled, suspended, or simply not renewed. (check) The bill was listed for passage on Wednesday. Amid protests, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju informed the Lok Sabha that he had told senior Congress leaders on Tuesday that “we are not taking up the bill.” During Question Hour, as the Opposition lodged protests, Rijiju said, “The Congress party and the Communist party are misleading the people of Kerala about the FCRA, which is not correct. Please do not mislead the people of Kerala for the sake of election.” “This is not a political issue. Several bills have been introduced, and we take them up depending on the situation and timing. The Andhra Pradesh Bill [to declare Amaravati as its capital] was urgent, which is why it was taken up today,” he added, indicating that the FCRA bill was not shelved. The bill, introduced in Parliament on March 25, had kicked up a controversy. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted on Wednesday, “The Union Govt’s move to push through the FCRA Amendment Bill 2026 is a direct assault on the functioning of civil society. By granting sweeping powers to seize assets over technicalities, it creates a tool for arbitrary control against those serving the poor. This will severely impact education & healthcare for minority communities and the downtrodden. Democratic & secular forces must unite to ensure the withdrawal of these draconian provisions that will stifle social justice.” Congress general secretary KC Venugopal had alleged in Kerala that the “blatantly unconstitutional law will destroy NGOs and community organisations, especially those run by minority communities.” Defending the amendments, BJP lawmaker Dinesh Sharma rejected the Opposition’s charge that the bill targeted minorities. “The government does not differentiate between minorities and majorities as the Opposition does. National security is the government’s foremost priority,” he said. “If foreign funds received by NGOs are used for protests against the government, for media and social media misinformation, or to promote Naxalism, then it is certainly necessary for the government to impose restrictions in the interest of national security,” Sharma said. BJP MP Ghulam Ali Khatana accused the Congress of marginalising minorities. “They have pushed minorities to the margins, and now they try to frighten and intimidate them. They want to turn them into a vote bank,” he alleged. Congress MP Manickam Tagore claimed that Opposition unity forced the government to withhold the bill. “Because of the Congress party’s unity - all MPs from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana - we have shown the power of the Opposition. The government came under pressure.” Congress MP Manish Tewari termed the amendments “unconstitutional” and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged on X that the government sought to exert unwanted control over NGOs and turn them into its “puppets”. “In fact, this is the undemocratic, hyper-controlling, monopolistic mindset of BJP politics, which seeks to exert unwanted control over NGOs, turn them into its puppets, and, under this pretext, slowly gobble up their properties,” Yadav said.