FCRA amendment: Bill should be sent to parliamentary standing committee, CBCI writes to Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the amendment to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

In the letter, the CBCI requested that the bill be sent to a parliamentary standing committee for detailed review. It also asked the government to consider the concerns raised and take appropriate action. The organisation has submitted petitions to all Members of Parliament as well. The CBCI urged MPs from Kerala to pause their election campaign and travel to Delhi to intervene in the matter. It also warned that if the bill becomes law, it will approach the court.

Church leaders criticised the proposed law, saying the restrictions being introduced violate constitutional rights. They added that strict regulations already exist, and the new changes appear to be an attempt to control NGOs and organisations across the country.

Meanwhile, the FCRA Amendment Bill is scheduled to be discussed in the Lok Sabha tomorrow. The bill was introduced on the 25th of March by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. The government is planning to pass the bill after discussion. If passed, the bill may be introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, the last day of the Budget Session.