New Delhi: In response to an American MP’s objection to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act amendment bill, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has said that this is our internal matter.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have taken note of the comments regarding FCRA. It is India’s internal matter to enact laws for India. The country’s Parliament makes decisions on this. I would also like to point out that many countries, including the United States, regulate foreign fund transfers.”
To tighten foreign funding procedures, the Central Government introduced the Foreign Contribution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha on the 25th of last month. It has proposed certain amendments to the existing Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010, which regulates the receipt and use of funds from abroad by individuals, associations, and non-governmental organizations in India.
The government has stated that the purpose of FCRA is to ensure the protection of India’s sovereignty, integrity, national security, public interest, and democratic institutions.
According to the proposed amendments, “if an organization’s FCRA registration is cancelled or not renewed, the foreign contributions of that organization, along with the assets related to them, shall be managed by an authority designated by the government.”
With regard to places of worship and religious institutions, the bill also states that the designated authority must preserve their religious character while managing such assets.”
The government has said that this amendment bill aims to improve the transparency, accountability, and administration of organizations receiving foreign funding.
In particular, the government says this becomes necessary when an organization loses its eligibility to receive foreign donations.
The government has said these changes have been proposed both to protect public assets created through foreign contributions and to ensure that ongoing charitable activities continue in a lawful manner.
Several organizations, including the All India Catholic Union, have opposed this amendment. It is also noteworthy that Riley Moore, a Republican MP from the United States who criticized this amendment, had said, “This amendment reveals a clear attack against Christians. This law could negatively affect relations between India and the United States.”