Nion Minister Kiren Rijiju speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the budget session of Parliament in New Delhi on April 1, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI
Amid strong protests from the opposition benches, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday (April 1, 2026) informed the Lok Sabha that the government does not intend to introduce a bill to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) in the ongoing budget session.
Mr. Rijiju accused the opposition of deceiving people in Kerala and across the country ahead of the assembly elections in the state. “Yesterday (March 31, 2026) I told the Congress that since the bill was introduced, it was listed for consideration and passage on Wednesday (April 1, 2026). But today (April 1, 2026) it is not the FCRA (Amendment) Bill,” he said between slogans.
Protests broke out in the House as soon as question hour began at 11 am, with opposition members, mainly from Kerala, raising slogans against the provisions of the FCRA (Amendment) Act.
Mr. Rijiju said the bill, introduced last month, seeks to protect national security and interests, asserting that it is not directed against any religion or organization. According to him, it is supposed to prevent the misuse of foreign contributions.
“Since there are elections in Kerala, the Congress and the Communists are spreading bad things about the bill,” he said.
Also read | Kerala assembly elections 2026: FCRA amendment casts shadow over BJP’s Christian outreach
As opposition members flocked to the Well, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the proceedings till 12 noon. Even before the House met, opposition MPs protested in front of the main entrance to the Parliament.
Not only opposition protests but also pressure from the BJP’s Kerala unit seems to have prompted the government to reconsider enforcing the FCRA (Amendment) Act in the budget session.
Also Read |Kerala assembly elections 2026: FCRA amendment casts shadow over BJP’s Christian outreach
One of the key proposals of the draft law is the establishment of an “Authorized Authority” for the management and disposal of foreign funds and property of NGOs, by which registration is suspended, canceled or not renewed. In poll-bound Kerala, there has been a narrative that these provisions may be misused to target minority institutions such as churches that may receive foreign funding.
Such a concern could not have come at a worse time as the BJP, after winning one of the 20 seats in Kerala in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, is reaching out to the state’s Christian community to build a devoted voter base.
Published – 01 Apr 2026 22:12 IST
