New Delhi : Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, on Tuesday, welcoming its referral to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further scrutiny. He stated that sending the bill to the 31-member JPC would allow for a thorough cross-party examination and expose misinformation surrounding the legislation.
Speaking to ANI, Rijiju rejected allegations that the proposed law targets minority communities, accusing opposition parties of spreading falsehoods for vote-bank politics. “Sending it to the JPC was an excellent decision; now the truth will come out clearly,” he said.
Rijiju criticised what he described as the Opposition’s “lies” and refuted claims that the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) specifically targets Christian institutions. He pointed out that Christian organisations receive approximately 16% of the total foreign contributions in India, whereas Hindu organisations receive the largest share. “They (opposition) spread a lot of filth and lies across the country, claiming that the FCRA targets Christian missionaries. In reality, Christian missionaries account for only 16% of the total foreign contributions coming into India, while the rest goes to Hindu organisations. If anyone should be protesting, it ought to be Hindus, since they receive the largest share; but these people are driven by vote-bank politics,” he stated.
Challenging critics, including American lawmakers, Rijiju urged them to identify any provision in the legislation that discriminates based on religion. “American policymakers should actually read the provisions. Name just one provision in the FCRA that targets any specific faith or community. Engaging in politics by spreading such falsehoods is absolutely wrong,” he added.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee after sustained opposition from various MPs, religious organisations, and civil society groups.
The Lok Sabha referred the bill to a 31-member JPC, with 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. Among other provisions, the bill seeks to establish a “Designated Authority” responsible for taking custody and managing assets created with foreign funds if an NGO’s registration lapses, is cancelled, or not renewed.
Congress and Samajwadi Party leaders have alleged that the law targets minority-run schools, hospitals, and charities, demanding its withdrawal.
