Various countries, including the United States, enforce regulations on foreign monetary inflows, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
New Delhi, Aug 07 (ANI): Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addresses a press briefing, in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI Video Grab)
(ANI Video Grab)India on Friday responded to a remark made by a US lawmaker on the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment (FCRA) Bill, stating that the matter is India's 'internal affair.'Various countries including the United States, enforce regulations on foreign monetary inflows, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said."Regarding the issue you are referring to, we have seen it, and several comments have been made on it. As far as legislative matters are concerned, and particularly matters relating to India's own legislation, this is an internal matter for us, on which our Parliament takes the decision," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday, addressing a bi-weekly media briefing.Quick answers to key questions•5 QUESTIONSThe Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 seeks to regulate foreign donations by establishing a Designated Authority to oversee foreign contributions, particularly when an entity's FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered, or lapsed.India's Ministry of External Affairs stated that the proposed amendments to the FCRA are an internal matter and emphasized that several countries, including the US, regulate foreign monetary inflows.The Bill mandates that if foreign contributions are linked to places of worship, their religious character must be maintained by the Designated Authority, addressing concerns of government takeovers of churches and charities.Yes, opposition parties have expressed concerns that the amendments could harm NGOs, particularly those operated by minority communities, due to potential excessive government control over foreign funding.The FCRA Amendment proposes to reduce the maximum penalty for statutory violations from five years' imprisonment to one year, thereby making it less severe for NGOs caught in infractions."I would also like to tell you that there are several countries in the world, including the United States, that regulate foreign funds and foreign financing," he added.US lawmaker Riley Moore's criticismThe response comes following remarks from US lawmaker Riley Moore, who raised objections to proposed modifications to India's Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), claiming the provisions could enable state control over churches and philanthropic institutions, while cautioning that the development might strain bilateral ties.The Republican Congressman from West Virginia acknowledged that Christianity holds deep historic roots in India, tracing back to the arrival of St Thomas the Apostle on the Malabar Coast."But despite this long Christian history, India's Parliament is considering amending the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act to permit government takeovers of churches and religious charities," Moore wrote on X earlier this week."This is a clear attack against Christians. If this bill proceeds in this way, it would be a point of major concern in our bilateral relationship with India," he added.What is FCRA Amendment?The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, seeks to establish a Designated Authority tasked with overseeing foreign contributions and assets acquired through such capital in instances where an entity's FCRA registration stands cancelled, surrendered or lapsed.The proposed legislation explicitly mandates that if such assets comprise a place of worship, the Designated Authority is required to maintain its religious character intact. Furthermore, it seeks to scale down the maximum penalty for statutory violations from five years' imprisonment to one year.The FCRA framework governs the intake and utilisation of overseas funding across non-governmental organisations, charitable entities, academic insti
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