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Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday defended the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, welcoming its referral to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
Speaking with ANI, he dismissed allegations that the proposed law targets minority communities and accused opposition parties of spreading misinformation for vote-bank politics, adding that referring the bill to a 31-member JPC will expose false narratives, allow for detailed cross-party examination, and bring transparency to foreign funding flows. "Sending it to the JPC was an excellent decision; now the truth will come out clearly," he said. Rijiju further criticised the Opposition's "lies" and rejected claims that the FCRA targets Christian institutions, stating that Christian organisations account for roughly 16% of incoming foreign contributions, 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 said. Rijiju challenged critics, including American lawmakers, to point out a single provision in the legislation that discriminates on religious grounds. "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 a Joint Parliamentary Committee following sustained pushback from Opposition MPs, religious organisations, and civil society groups. The Lok Sabha has referred the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee -- 21 from Lok Sabha, 10 from Rajya Sa The bill seeks to set up a "Designated Authority" that will take custody and manage assets created with foreign funds if an NGO's registration lapses, is cancelled, or not renewed. Congress and Samajwadi Party leaders allege the law targets minority-run schools, hospitals and charities, and have demanded its withdrawal. (ANI)
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