- By Shubham Bajpai
- Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:57 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
From Kerala to the alleys of Parliament, the issue of the FCRA Amendment Bill 2026 emerged as a key political agenda on Wednesday, prompting the centre to put the legislation on hold until the Kerala Assembly elections. In Kozhikode, Congress MP and General Secretary KC Venugopal led a massive protest against the legislation, saying it targets Christians, minorities, and NGOs.
While talking to news agency ANI, Venugopal said that proposed amendments in the law punish organisations doing good work in India and vowed that Congress will oppose the Bill both inside and outside Parliament, calling it anti-Constitutional and against minority interests.
He said, "FCRA is a targeted legislation against Christians and minorities, and the NGOs. The NGOs that are doing good work for the people of India are being penalised by this law."
"We are not going to allow this Bill to pass. We are demonstrating today in front of Parliament and inside the Parliament too. We will fight against this Bill; we will not allow this Bill to pass. This Bill is anti-Constitutional, this Bill is going to be anti-minority," he added.
Venugopal has raised the issue in a big political move ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections, eying minority institutions and NGOs which get a lot of foreign contributions.
Protests in Parliament
Meanwhile, Congress and the other Opposition parties protested at the Makar Dwar in the Parliament, demanding the withdrawal of the Bill. Congress MP Manish Tewari said that the bill suffers from "excessive delegation" of legislative powers.
The Opposition has called the proposed amendments ‘draconian’, saying that it gives excessive power to the executive.
Why was Bill put on hold?
According to a report by India Today, citing sources, the government had held the legislation amid mounting protests from the Opposition and certain Kerala-based Christian groups.
Several Christian, especially Catholic, institutions like schools, hospitals, and charities are built on foreign funding, which continues to pour in.
As Kerala heads to the polls this month, the issue took centre stage in the state politics, with Congress leading from the front. The ruling CPI (M) of CM Pinrayi Vijayan has also protested the Bill.
While speaking in the Lok Sabha, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Congress of misleading the people of Kerala, adding that no discussion was slated for today in the House and any such news was fake.
"Kerala MPs are under a serious misunderstanding. The FCRA Amendment Bill was introduced earlier, which is why it has come up now. I had informed senior Congress leaders yesterday and again today that the FCRA would not be taken up for consideration today. There is indeed misinformation being spread about the FCRA," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said.
"The amendment is aimed at regulating foreign contributions, ensuring proper utilisation in the national interest and national security, and preventing misuse of funds. It is not against any religion or organisation. Congress and the Communist Party are misleading the people of Kerala in view of the elections. They should not mislead the House or the people of Kerala for the sake of elections," he added.