Christian leaders urge Shah to scrap FCRA Bill

NEW DELHI, AUG 6 (PTI): A delegation of Christian leaders led by DMK Rajya Sabha MP P. Wilson on Thursday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to withdraw the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, alleging that it would replace the existing regulatory framework with a “confiscatory” regime that could severely affect charitable institutions.
In a memorandum submitted to Shah, the delegation said that if the government was unwilling to withdraw the Bill, it should refer it, along with a comprehensive review of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). It also sought the repeal of Section 15 of the existing Act, which deals with vesting of assets.
The delegation, comprising representatives of various Christian denominations, Archbishop Anil Couto, CSI Moderator K. Reuben Mark, evangelist Paul Dhinakaran, and representatives of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, National Council of Churches in India and Church of North India, said it supported regulation of foreign contributions but opposed provisions that would permanently divest charitable institutions of their assets. According to the memorandum, the proposed legislation would allow charitable assets to vest automatically in a designated government authority without prior hearing or independent determination, affecting institutions running schools, colleges, hospitals, orphanages, old-age homes and other welfare facilities.
The delegation argued that while existing law allowed organisations to regain their assets upon re-registration after losing an FCRA licence, the proposed Bill would result in permanent loss of their buildings and properties. It maintained that transparency, accountability and prevention of misuse of foreign contributions could be ensured under the existing legal framework without introducing provisions for vesting or takeover of charitable assets.
The leaders contended that the proposed law would ultimately hurt beneficiaries rather than alleged wrongdoers, affecting patients, students, hostel residents and inmates of welfare institutions. According to a statement issued by the Joint Action Forum on Minorities (JAFM), chaired by Wilson, Shah interacted with the delegation for over an hour, heard its concerns and assured them that he would look into their grievances.