India's FCRA Amendment Rules 2026 Spark Political Row

The Ministry of Home Affairs notified the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2026 on June 22, introducing a detailed framework that classifies permissible activities under a religious category and tightens compliance for organisations receiving foreign funding. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) submitted a memorandum raising concerns, which Home Minister Amit Shah later addressed, assuring that the amendments would not have retrospective effect.

BJP leader V. Muraleedharan dismissed Congress criticism as politically motivated, arguing that the original FCRA was enacted in 1976 and amended in 2010 under a Congress government, and that the current changes add no new conversion provisions. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal accused the government of weaponising the law to harass civil‑society groups and minority‑run institutions. The debate highlights tensions over the use of foreign money for religious conversion, political campaigns, and NGO activities, with both parties claiming the rules either safeguard national security or stifle legitimate civil‑society work.