FCRA Bill sent to JPC amid Opposition uproar
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday referred the contentious Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) of both Houses amid massive uproar in the House. union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai moved the motion after the Lok Sabha resumed proceedings following an adjournment in the morning. The motion was adopted by voice vote amid fierce protests and objections from Opposition MPs. The decision to refer the Bill to a JPC was announced shortly before the Lok Sabha resumed at 2 pm through the supplementary list of business, which stated that Home Minister Amit Shah would move the motion.
The proceedings that followed saw a sharp exchange amid Opposition and Treasury Benches, including one between Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
Seemingly responding to Rijiju’s observation on Monday after a meeting of the Lok Sabha Business Advisory Committee, that there were “differences between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party”, Yadav said the entire Opposition was against the FCRA Bill. “I want to ask the honourable minister, tell us, which bill has this government brought so far that was not against minorities?” Yadav said to which Rijiju hit back, challenging him to identify a single provision targeting minorities.
Accusing the Opposition of “misleading the House”, Rijiju said there was no question of targeting minorities. He also said that foreign funds could not be allowed to flow without a legal framework.
The FCRA regulates the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and organisations in India and seeks to ensure that such funds are used for the purposes for which they are received.
On Congress MP KC Venugopal demand for withdrawal of the Bill and allegation that it targeted minorities and NGOs, Rijiju said the Opposition had itself demanded that the Bill be referred to a JPC and asked it to use the committee process to raise its concerns. The Opposition should welcome the government’s decision to refer the bill to a JPC because referring legislation to a committee would allow detailed discussion, Rijiju said
The JPC will have 31 members—21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha members will be nominated by the Speaker and the Rajya Sabha members by the Chairman. The committee will examine the legislative provisions in detail and submit its report to Parliament by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session of 2026.