'We are not enemies of govt': Shiv Sena UBT's Anand Dubey seeks FCRA Bill debate

Shiv Sena UBT leader Anand Dubey on Friday called for a constructive discussion on the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act FCRA Bill saying the oppositions demand for transparency and parliamentary debate should not be interpreted as hostility towards the governmentDubey said the opposition wanted the draft legislation to be made available for discussion and maintained that raising questions about the proposed changes was part of the democratic processDubey calls for discussion on proposed FCRA changesSpeaking to ANI Dubey said The opposition wants the draft of the FCRA law to be presented and discussed There should be a constructive discussion We are not enemies of the governmentHis remarks came amid a wider debate over the proposed amendments to the FCRA and concerns raised by some lawmakers in the United States about their possible implications for religious and charitable organisations in IndiaDubey also referred to comments made by US lawmaker Riley Moore who had raised objections to the proposed changes to Indias FCRA Moore claimed that the provisions could enable government control over churches and philanthropic institutions and could affect bilateral ties between India and the United StatesMEA rejects concerns raised by US lawmakerResponding to the issue Dubey noted that the Ministry of External Affairs had already rejected the concerns raised in the US ParliamentThe Ministry of External Affairs has already dismissed the matter concerning the US Parliament Dubey saidEarlier Moore a Republican Congressman from West Virginia had raised his concerns in a social media post He alleged that the proposed amendments could allow government takeovers of churches and religious charities and described the move as a concern for ChristiansBut despite this long Christian history Indias Parliament is considering amending the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act to permit government takeovers of churches and religious charities This is a clear attack against Christians If this bill proceeds in this way it would be a point of major concern in our bilateral relationship with India Moore saidThe comments triggered a response from the Ministry of External Affairs which maintained that decisions relating to Indian legislation fall within the countrys domestic constitutional and parliamentary frameworkGovernment says foreign funding is regulated in several countriesAddressing a biweekly media briefing on Friday MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said legislative matters concerning India are decided by Parliament He also pointed out that several countries including the United States have regulations governing foreign funds and financingRegarding the issue you are referring to we have seen it and several comments have been made on it As far as legislative matters are concerned and particularly matters relating to Indias own legislation this is an internal matter for us on which our Parliament takes the decision I would also like to tell you that there are several countries in the world including the United States that regulate foreign funds and foreign financing Jaiswal saidThe government has maintained that the proposed changes are part of the regulatory framework governing foreign contributions and the assets associated with such fundsFCRA Bill proposes designated authority for assetsThe Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill 2026 proposes the creation of a Designated Authority to oversee foreign contributions and assets acquired using such funds in cases where an entitys FCRA registration has been cancelled surrendered or has lapsedThe proposed legislation provides for specific action concerning assets held by organisations whose FCRA registration is no longer valid The provisions are aimed at determining how such assets would be managed following the cancellation surrender or lapse of registrationThe Bill also contains a specific provision concerning places of worshipBill proposes changes to penaltiesUnder the proposed legislation if the assets covered by the provisions include a place of worship the Designated Authority would be required to ensure that its religious character remains intactThe proposed amendment also seeks to reduce the maximum imprisonment prescribed for certain statutory violations The maximum penalty would be reduced from five years imprisonment to one yearThe proposed changes have led to political discussion over the scope of government powers under the FCRA and the safeguards that would apply to religious charitable and other organisations receiving foreign contributionsDubeys comments focused on the oppositions demand that the draft legislation be discussed in detail while the governments position as conveyed by the MEA has been that regulation of foreign funding is a matter for Parliament and that similar regulatory mechanisms exist in several countriesThe debate over the FCRA Bill is expected to continue as political parties examine its proposed provisions and their implications for organisations receiving foreign contributionsWith inputs from ANI