FCRA Bill sent to JPC amid Opposition protests; Rijiju challenges parties to cite provision against minorities

The Lok Sabha on August 12 approved a motion to refer the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed scrutiny, amid strong Opposition protests and demands for withdrawal of the proposed legislation.

The motion, moved by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, provides for a JPC comprising 21 Lok Sabha and 10 Rajya Sabha members. 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.

The move came amid sloganeering by Opposition MPs, who also demanded the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the House.

Congress MP K C Venugopal said the Opposition had only recently been informed about the decision to refer the bill to a joint committee and alleged that the proposed legislation was aimed at minorities and NGOs.

“This is clearly for targeting minorities and NGOs. We demand that the Bill be withdrawn,” Venugopal said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju rejected the allegation, saying Opposition parties had themselves been demanding that the legislation be examined by a parliamentary committee.

“If they have any reservations about the Bill, they can speak in the JPC. This is not targeted at any minority community,” Rijiju said.

BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who was presiding over the proceedings, said the government had accepted the demand for scrutiny by a JPC, allowing for a “threadbare discussion” on the proposed legislation.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the entire Opposition was against the bill and questioned the absence of Shah from the House.

Responding to Rijiju's assertion that the legislation was not directed against minorities, Yadav said, “He should clarify which Bill they brought till date was not against minorities.”

DMK MP T R Baalu also demanded withdrawal of the bill.

Rijiju hit back at the Opposition, challenging Yadav to identify any provision in the proposed law that was specifically 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,” Rijiju said.

The FCRA Amendment Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 and proposes tighter government oversight over NGOs and foreign contributions received in India. Among other provisions, it seeks to establish a designated authority to manage and dispose of assets if an organisation loses its FCRA licence.

Opposition parties have raised concerns that certain provisions could affect legitimate foreign funding received by Christian NGOs and minority-run social welfare and educational institutions. The government has maintained that the proposed legislation is not religion-specific and is intended to regulate foreign contributions.

The proposed law has also drawn concerns from several northeastern states. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma had earlier urged the Centre to refer the bill to a joint parliamentary committee, while Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had also raised concerns over its provisions.

The legislation has also attracted criticism from some US lawmakers over its potential impact on Christian organisations and civil society groups. India has rejected such criticism, maintaining that the proposed changes are an internal legislative matter.

Meanwhile, the report of an inquiry committee that examined allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma, against whom removal proceedings were initiated following the alleged discovery of unaccounted cash at his official residence, was also laid before the Lok Sabha.

Amid continued din in the House, NDA MPs, including BJP member Nishikant Dubey, raised slogans alleging an exchange of cash for question papers in connection with the controversy over alleged examination irregularities in Jharkhand.