NEW DELHI, August 12, 2026 : The Lok Sabha on Wednesday approved a motion to refer the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed scrutiny, amid strong protests from Opposition parties demanding withdrawal of the legislation.
The proposed committee will comprise 21 Lok Sabha members and 10 Rajya Sabha members. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will nominate the members from the Lower House, while Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan will nominate the Upper House members.
The JPC has been directed to submit its report to the Lok Sabha by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session of Parliament in 2026.
Opposition Alleges Targeting of Minorities, NGOs
The motion was moved by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai as Opposition MPs raised slogans demanding the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah in the House.
Congress MP K. C. Venugopal objected to the move, claiming that the Opposition had received information about the proposed JPC only shortly before the motion was taken up.
Venugopal alleged that the legislation could be used to target minorities and NGOs and demanded that the Bill be withdrawn.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the Opposition was united against the proposed FCRA amendments and questioned the government’s approach towards minority organisations.
DMK MP T. R. Baalu also demanded withdrawal of the Bill.
Rijiju Issues Direct Challenge
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju rejected the Opposition’s allegations, saying the government had agreed to send the legislation to a JPC precisely to allow detailed examination of its provisions.
Rijiju challenged Opposition leaders to identify any provision that specifically targets minorities.
He said the government was making it clear that the proposed legislation was not directed against any particular religious community and maintained that concerns could be raised and debated before the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
Rijiju also criticised what he described as misinformation surrounding the Bill, stressing that the legislative process must be followed through parliamentary scrutiny.
What Does the FCRA Bill Propose?
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, 2026, proposes tighter oversight of organisations receiving foreign contributions.
Among its key provisions is a proposal to establish a designated authority to manage and dispose of assets in cases where an organisation’s FCRA licence is cancelled or otherwise ceases to remain valid.
The government has argued that the proposed changes are intended to strengthen transparency, accountability and regulation of foreign contributions and are not religion-specific.
Opposition parties, however, have expressed concerns that some provisions could adversely affect legitimate foreign funding received by Christian NGOs, minority-run educational institutions and social welfare organisations.
Northeastern States Seek Greater Scrutiny
Concerns have also emerged from several Northeastern states.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma had urged the Centre to refer the legislation to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed examination. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma had also raised concerns regarding certain provisions with the Centre.
The proposed amendments have additionally attracted criticism from some US lawmakers over their possible impact on Christian organisations and civil society groups. India has rejected such criticism, maintaining that changes to domestic legislation are an internal matter.
JPC Now Holds the Key
With the Bill now referred to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee, the contentious legislation enters a detailed scrutiny phase.
The committee is expected to examine the Bill clause by clause, hear stakeholders and consider concerns raised by political parties, civil society organisations and other affected groups before submitting its recommendations to Parliament.
The referral could provide the government and Opposition an opportunity to resolve their differences through parliamentary debate, while determining whether the proposed FCRA framework requires further safeguards or amendments.
Justice Varma Report Also Tabled
Separately, amid the disruptions in the House, the inquiry committee report concerning former judge Justice Yashwant Varma was also laid in the Lok Sabha.
The report relates to allegations arising from the discovery of unaccounted cash at his official residence and the subsequent removal proceedings.
The House also witnessed slogan-shouting by NDA MPs, including BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, over allegations concerning an exchange of cash for question papers amid the controversy surrounding alleged examination irregularities in Jharkhand.
