India on Friday responded to remarks by a US lawmaker over the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), asserting that legislative matters concerning the country are an internal
affair decided by Parliament.
While addressig a press breifing, External Affairs Ministry (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that New Delhi has taken note of the remarks but stressed that decisions on domestic legislation were for Parliament to take.
He said that India has a well-established democratic process for framing legislation and that domestic laws should be viewed in their proper context.
“We have seen the comments on FCRA. Legislative matters concerning India are our internal affairs on which decisions are taken by the Parliament of the country,” he said.
#WATCH | Delhi: Responding to comments by a US lawmaker on the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) Amendment Bill, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “We have seen the comments on FCRA. Legislative matters concerning India are our internal affairs on which… pic.twitter.com/l3i52nrEuS
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2026
Jaiswal also pointed out that India was not alone in regulating the flow of foreign contributions.
“I would also like to point out that there are several nations, including the United States, which regulate the flow of foreign funds,” he said.
New Delhi’s response came after US Congressman Riley Moore expressed concerns over the proposed bill, saying that the changes could affect bilateral ties between New Delhi and Washington.
Moore said that the proposed amendments, which deal with foreign donations received by NGOs, trusts, educational institutions and religious organisations, could allow the Indian government to take over churches and religious charities.
In a post on X, the Republican from West Virginia said that the move was a “clear attack against Christians” as it would become a “major concern” in India-US relations if passed in its current form.
Christians have been in India since St. Thomas the Apostle traveled to the Malabar Coast just decades after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But despite this long Christian history, India’s Parliament is considering amending Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment…
— Rep. Riley M. Moore (@RepRileyMoore) August 4, 2026
What The Proposed FCRA Changes Say?
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 seeks to allow the government to create a “Designated Authority” to manage foreign contributions and assets created using such funds if an organisation’s FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered or not renewed.
The bill states that if such assets include places of worship, the authority must ensure that their religious character is maintained.
The proposed legislation also reduces the maximum punishment for violations under the Act from five years in prison to one year.
The Centre has maintained that the proposed changes are intended to ensure transparency, accountability and proper administration of foreign-funded entities, particularly where organisations cease to be eligible to receive overseas donations.
According to the government, the amendments are designed to safeguard public assets created through foreign contributions while ensuring that ongoing charitable activities are managed in accordance with the law.
