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MEA's riposte to US lawmaker's foreign funding remarks: 'Our internal affairs'
“I would also like to point out that there are several nations, including the US, which regulate the flow of foreign funds,” the MEA spokesperson said.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday took strong exception to a US lawmaker’s comments on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, saying such legislative matters are India's "internal affairs”.
The remarks came days after US Congressman Riley Moorey said proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act would permit the Indian government to take over churches and religious charities and would amount to a “clear attack against Christians”.
"We have seen the comments on FCRA. Legislative matters concerning India are our internal affairs on which decisions are taken by the Parliament of the country. I would also like to point out that there are several nations, including the US, which regulate the flow of foreign funds,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to a query on Moorey’s remarks.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, introduced in Parliament in March, proposes a significant overhaul of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) framework. It empowers the government to appoint a “designated authority” to take over, manage or sell assets created from foreign funds by NGOs whose FCRA registration has been cancelled, suspended or not renewed. It also expands the scope of action against those associated with such organisations, including directors and trustees.
The proposed amendments also require organisations to select from a predefined list of purposes and areas of operation, and provide that associations with foreign nationals --other than persons of Indian origin-- as key functionaries will “ordinarily not be considered” for registration or prior permission to receive foreign contributions.
Opinion | Legislation needs debate, not blind determination
On Tuesday, Moore, a Republican from West Virginia, said in a post on X: “Christians have been in India since St Thomas the Apostle travelled to the Malabar Coast just decades after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. But despite this long Christian history, India's Parliament is considering amending Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment (FCRA) rules to permit government takeovers of churches and religious charities.”
He added: “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.”
Earlier, Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma and Christian organisations raised concerns over the proposed amendments, even as government officials said the revisions are aimed at strengthening oversight of foreign funding and are not intended to target any religious community. Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured that the proposed Bill would not have retrospective effect.
“The law would not be used against a particular religious community, but against violators who misuse foreign funding for illegal purposes,” a government official said on condition of anonymity.
After meeting Shah last month, a five-member delegation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) said he had assured them that the proposed amendments would not be applied retrospectively. The Ministry of Home Affairs, however, has not officially commented on the issue.
