Chennai : DMK president MK Stalin has called on the Union Government to withdraw the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, and repeal Section 15 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. He made the appeal on August 8 following a meeting between a delegation of the Joint Action Forum on Minorities and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on August 6.
The delegation, led by DMK Rajya Sabha MP P. Wilson and including religious leaders from various denominations, pressed the Home Minister to withdraw the Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha in March 2026 or to refer it, along with a comprehensive review of the 2010 Act’s functioning, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. Stalin stated, “The delegation of the Joint Action Forum on Minorities, led by our MP Thiru. @PWilsonDMK and including top religious leaders from various denominations in India, met the Hon’ble Home Minister on 6.8.2026. They urged the Hon’ble Minister to withdraw the #FCRA Amendment Bill 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha in March 2026, and to repeal Section 15 of FCRA or refer the Bill, along with a comprehensive review of the workings of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.”
Stalin confirmed the DMK’s support for the Forum’s demand, saying, “The DMK, which has opposed the provisions of the proposed Bill from the very beginning due to their far-reaching implications, endorses this request.” He appealed to the Centre to address the matter during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, stating, “I appeal to the Union Government to consider the Forum’s plea in the interests of the minorities’ rights and take necessary steps in the ongoing #MonsoonSession of the Parliament.”
Section 15 of the 2010 Act empowers the Central Government to take control of foreign contributions and assets of organisations or persons whose FCRA registration has been cancelled. The 2026 Amendment Bill proposes establishing a Designated Authority to oversee foreign contributions and assets in cases where FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered or lapsed. It mandates that religious places acquired through such assets retain their religious character and reduces the maximum penalty for statutory violations from five years’ imprisonment to one year.
The FCRA regulates overseas funding for non-governmental organisations, charitable bodies, academic institutions, religious trusts and related entities. Ministry of Home Affairs data shows that 13,520 entities received foreign remittances amounting to Rs 55,741 crore between 2019 and 2022. Official records as of July 15, 2026, indicate 14,449 active FCRA registrations, with 22,498 cancelled and 15,212 expired.
