NEW DELHI: The government is likely to consider referring the contentious Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed scrutiny before tabling it in Parliament, said sources.
Neither the FCRA Bill nor the proposed Delimitation Bill figured in Monday’s Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting despite strong speculation that the government could take up the legislation in the remaining days of the monsoon session. This newspaper reported on Saturday that the government has not listed the two bills for the BAC meeting on Monday.
Opposition sources told this newspaper that the government has proposed referring the bill to a JPC. However, they insisted that the legislation be withdrawn altogether.
On Saturday, NCP(SP) working president Supriya Sule said one cannot always view foreign funding with suspicion and urged the Centre to either withdraw it or refer it to a JPC. The party opposed the FCRA Bill in its present form, she said. Meanwhile, a delegation of eight NCP(SP) MPs in the Lok Sabha met PM Narendra Modi on Monday.
The FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 this year. However, it was put on hold after pushback from various stakeholders.
The bill has drawn pushback from the DMK at a time when the Centre is looking to secure the party’s support for its proposed delimitation bill. In a social media post, DMK president MK Stalin said that a delegation of the Joint Action Forum on Minorities, led by party MP P Wilson, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urged him to withdraw the FCRA Amendment Bill and sought the repeal of Section 15 of the existing law.
Alternatively, it asked the government to refer the bill, along with a comprehensive review of the functioning of the FCRA, to a JPC.
On Sunday, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma and leading Christian organisations also urged the Centre to refer the bill to a JPC. The Congress and other Opposition parties, including Samajwadi Party and the Left, said that they will strongly oppose the bill if it is introduced in Parliament.
DMK calls for withdrawal of the bill
The bill has drawn pushback from DMK, whose support is crucial for the government for the Delimitation Bill. A delegation led by DMK MP P Wilson met Home Minister Amit Shah and urged him to withdraw the bill and repeal Section 15 of the existing law