Minority Affairs Minister tasks State BJP leadership with resolving FCRA impasse via direct dialogue

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a significant move to ease tensions with the Christian community ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju met with prominent church leaders in Thiruvananthapuram on Good Friday to address the brewing controversy over the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) Amendment Bill, 2026. The meeting followed the Union Government's strategic decision earlier this week to defer the passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha amidst intense protests from opposition members and representations from the Kerala BJP unit.

Addressing representatives from various denominations including the Syro-Malabar, Malankara Orthodox, and Latin Catholic churches, Rijiju characterised their concerns regarding the management of charitable assets as genuine. He emphasised that the proposed legislation, which seeks to establish a "Designated Authority" to oversee the assets of organisations with suspended licenses, was designed for national security and not intended to target religious institutions. However, acknowledging the specific anxieties of the Kerala clergy, the Minister announced that the government would intervene to ensure that legitimate humanitarian and educational activities are protected from administrative hurdles.

To facilitate a structured resolution, Rijiju instructed the BJP state leadership, led by President and Nemom constituency candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar, to convene a formal follow-up meeting with church representatives immediately after the assembly elections. Chandrasekhar has been tasked with documenting the specific suggestions and grievances of the churches to be presented directly to the Union Ministry. Monsignor Eugene H. Pereira, Vicar General of the Latin Catholic Archdiocese, confirmed the Minister’s assurances, noting that the promised intervention and the creation of a consultative framework provide a necessary path forward for the community’s institutions.