FCRA Amendment Bill 2026 Faces Opposition, Draws Criticism From US Congressman

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The Centre is preparing to introduce the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament.
The Bill proposes a framework for managing the assets and foreign contributions of organisations that lose FCRA registration.
Congress and several stakeholders have opposed the legislation, while US Congressman Riley M. Moore has also criticised the proposal.

NEW DELHI: The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 is facing mounting criticism ahead of its expected introduction in Parliament. The proposed legislation seeks to establish a legal framework for supervising, managing and disposing of the foreign contributions and assets of organisations whose FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered or expires.

The Bill has attracted opposition from political parties, civil society organisations and US Congressman Riley M. Moore, who expressed concern over its potential impact on Christian institutions.

Riley Moore Criticises Proposed FCRA Amendments

US Congressman Riley M. Moore described the proposed amendments as “a clear attack against Christians” in a post on X.

He claimed the Bill could allow government control over churches and religious charities and warned that, if enacted in its present form, it could become an issue in India-US bilateral relations.

The proposed Bill, however, deals broadly with the regulation of foreign contributions and provides a mechanism for handling the funds and assets of organisations that no longer hold a valid FCRA certificate.

Congress Says It Will Oppose the Bill

The Congress has reiterated that it will strongly oppose the legislation.

Senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal said the party would not allow what it described as a “draconian” Bill to be passed in its existing form. He added that Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi had also expressed concerns over the proposed amendments.

The Bill was first introduced in the Lok Sabha during the previous session but was not taken forward after objections from opposition parties and civil society organisations.

Stakeholders Raise Concerns Over Key Provision

One of the principal objections relates to a provision empowering the Centre to appoint a Designated Authority to manage the assets and foreign contributions of organisations whose FCRA registration has been cancelled, surrendered or has ceased to remain valid.

Earlier, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to withdraw the proposed rules and undertake wider consultations before proceeding with the legislation.