08 August,2026 06:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule has opposed the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, in its current form. File Pic
Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP SP) working president Supriya Sule has opposed the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, in its current form, saying foreign funding should not automatically be viewed with suspicion. She urged the Centre either to withdraw the Bill or refer it to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed scrutiny, reported the PTI.
Sule said all political parties should get an opportunity to discuss the proposed legislation, amid reports that the Bill could be taken up for discussion and passage in Parliament next week.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai on Saturday, Sule said her party disagreed with the Bill in its present form.
She said that if the government was unwilling to withdraw it, the legislation should be sent to a JPC so that its provisions could be discussed in detail.
"In a strong democracy, merely opposing something is not enough; we also have to sit together and discuss it," Sule said, the news agency reported.
She cautioned the Centre against rushing the legislation through Parliament without wider consultation.
Sule said foreign contributions could be used for legitimate purposes, including medical and educational work.
She said action should be taken when foreign funds are linked to illegal activities such as drug trafficking or terrorism, but argued that all foreign-funded organisations should not automatically be viewed negatively.
"There are organisations such as the Gates Foundation and USAID that have been doing good work for many years. Why should we look at every foreign-funded organisation with a bad eye?" she said, according to the PTI.
Sule also compared foreign contributions with money sent to India by Indians living abroad, saying foreign money cannot always be treated with suspicion.
The proposed FCRA legislation seeks to establish a framework for the vesting, supervision, management and disposal of foreign contributions and assets through a designated authority.
The Bill provides for both provisional and permanent vesting of such contributions and assets.
Critics of the proposed changes have argued that the legislation could go beyond regulating foreign contributions and give the government greater control over independent organisations.
Asked about the proposed delimitation legislation, Sule said it would be premature to comment as the Bill had not yet been introduced.
She said the NCP (SP) would discuss the legislation with its alliance partners once the details were available.
"When it comes, we will discuss every Bill with our alliance partners," she said.
Sule also welcomed recent remarks by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat about the younger generation.
She said political parties should listen to young people and take their concerns seriously.
"I thank RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for recognising how honest this new generation is. I welcome his statement. I would be happy if the BJP also listens to what he has said," she said, as per the PTI.
Sule said young people were increasingly willing to speak openly because many of them were not dependent on the government for jobs, contracts or other benefits.
She claimed that educated young people could express their views freely because they had fewer institutional or professional interests that could influence their opinions.
Sule also accused the Maharashtra government of taking an election-focused approach to policy decisions, particularly in relation to assistance for farmers.
"When elections come, decisions are taken with both hands open. Once elections are over and they are in power, they hold their hands tight," she said.
Her remarks came amid criticism from the Opposition over the government's farm loan waiver scheme.
The Maharashtra Cabinet had approved changes to the latest scheme, including the removal of some eligibility conditions and the earlier Rs 50,000 upper limit linked to beneficiaries of the 2019 waiver.
Sule also spoke about the ongoing legal disputes over the ownership and control of the NCP and Shiv Sena.
On the Shiv Sena dispute, she questioned how a political party could be handed over to another faction when its founder, Bal Thackeray, had identified Uddhav Thackeray as his successor.
She argued that the constitution and organisational structure of a political party should be considered when determining who controls it.
The Supreme Court is continuing to hear the challenge filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction against the Election Commission's decision recognising the Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena.
The NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) are partners in the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance.
Raises concerns over NCP legal dispute
Sule also referred to the legal dispute over the NCP, which split into two factions.
She said Sharad Pawar, whom she described as the founder president of the NCP, had faced injustice and alleged that the proceedings had been delayed.
"We have been asking for a date for a long time, but why are we not getting a date?" she said.
Sule also criticised what she described as the selective use of investigative and other institutions against Opposition parties, warning that such practices could have long-term consequences.
Sule criticised the use of the phrase "gungi gudiya" in reference to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.
She described the remark as inappropriate and said she had spoken to Congress leaders about it, as per the PTI.
Sule said the Congress leadership had clarified within half an hour that the statement made locally on social media in Maharashtra did not represent the party's official position.
She said political disagreements should not turn into personal attacks or insulting remarks.
'Bigger economic challenges' need attention
Sule called for political parties to move beyond personal attacks and focus on wider economic concerns facing the country and Maharashtra.
She said the country was facing "bigger economic challenges" that required attention from political leaders.
Sule also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to meet NCP (SP) MPs on Monday to discuss issues concerning their constituencies.
She attributed the need for such a meeting to the fact that "Parliament is not functioning".
The meeting is expected to provide the MPs an opportunity to raise constituency-level concerns directly with the Prime Minister.
(with PTI inputs)
