Kerala Elections 2026: The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment (FCRA) Bill has become a big issue for Congress in Kerala’s upcoming state elections, with the party strongly opposing the bill and accusing the government of using it to target minority communities and NGOs.
AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal on Monday accused the government of using the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment (FCRA) Bill to target minority communities and charitable organisations. He stated that the bill, which was introduced in Parliament, "hangs over minorities like a sword of Damocles" and suggested it was specifically aimed at bringing Christian communities under greater control.
The FCRA Amendment Bill was presented in the Lok Sabha on March 25, with the government making it clear that individuals involved in forced religious conversions through foreign funding would face action. Venugopal criticised the provisions of the bill, claiming they would limit the functioning of charitable organisations while facilitating greater central government intervention.
He also alleged that the bill had been introduced without sufficient notice, particularly while Members of Parliament from poll-bound states were preoccupied with election campaigning.
The Congress party has raised concerns that the bill is anti-minority, as many minority institutions and NGOs rely on foreign funding. Additionally, Congress enjoys strong support among minority communities and has its ally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), in the United Democratic Front (UDF) coalition in Kerala.
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Venugopal highlighted that the details of the bill only came to light after Congress MP Manish Tewari pointed out discrepancies in the proposed amendments and raised objections. Despite these objections, the government proceeded with introducing the bill.
He further claimed that the proposed amendments would give the central government the power to take over organisations, including those run by minority communities, by appointing a designated authority or administrator.
Calling the proposed changes "draconian", Venugopal demanded that the government withdraw the amendments immediately. He also asserted that Congress would oppose the bill both inside and outside of Parliament.
Venugopal questioned provisions that would allow authorities to seize organisations and their properties if their FCRA licences were revoked after receiving foreign funds.
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He emphasised that this issue went beyond just electoral concerns, with national implications.
As campaigning intensifies for the April 9 Kerala polls, Venugopal accused the ruling government of fostering a pattern of attacks on minorities. He pointed to incidents involving nuns and priests in states like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, describing these actions as increasingly frequent.
The Congress leader also recalled the party's earlier warning during discussions on the Waqf Amendment Bill, where it had cautioned that similar legislation could be enacted to target other minority communities, as well as economically disadvantaged sections of the Hindu population.