India says FCRA Bill is its internal matter, says US also regulates foreign funding

Published 7 August 2026 · politics

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday rejected criticism by US Congressman Riley Moore over the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, saying

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday rejected criticism by US Congressman Riley Moore over the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, saying legislative matters are India's internal affairs and pointing out that several countries, including the United States, have laws regulating foreign funding. The remarks came days after Moore, a Republican representative from West Virginia, alleged that the proposed amendments amounted to a "clear attack against Christians" and warned they could adversely affect India-US bilateral relations. Read Full Story Responding to media queries, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has a well-established democratic process for framing legislation and that domestic laws should be viewed in their proper context. Bi-Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (August 07, 2026) Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) August 7, 2026 He added that countries across the world, including the US, regulate foreign contributions to organisations through their own legal frameworks.

AMENDMENTS CAN SEE GOVT TAKE CONTROL OF CHURCHES: MOORE Moore, in a statement issued on August 4, had claimed that the proposed amendments could enable the Indian government to take control of churches and religious charities if their Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration was cancelled or not renewed. He argued that such provisions would disproportionately affect Christian organisations and urged the Indian government to reconsider the proposed legislation. The proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 seeks to amend the existing Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, which governs the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in India. The FCRA is aimed at ensuring that foreign funding does not adversely affect the country's sovereignty, integrity, security, public interest or democratic institutions.

Under the proposed amendments, if an organisation's FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered or not renewed, a government-designated authority would be empowered to temporarily manage its foreign contributions and related assets. The Bill also provides that in the case of places of worship or religious institutions, the designated authority must preserve their religious character while managing such assets. The Centre has maintained that the proposed changes are intended to ensure transparency, accountability and proper administration of foreign-funded entities, particularly where organisations cease to be eligible to receive overseas donations. AMENDMENTS DESIGNED TO SAFEGUARD ASSETS: GOVT According to the government, the amendments are designed to safeguard public assets created through foreign contributions while ensuring that ongoing charitable activities are managed in accordance with the law.