Riley Moore

A Republican member of the US Congress on Tuesday criticised the proposed amendments to India's foreign funding law, saying they could allow the government to take control of churches and religious charities and warning that the issue could affect relations between the two countries.

Riley Moore, a Republican Congressman from West Virginia, made the comments on Tuesday in a post on X, where he described the proposed changes to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) as "a clear attack against Christians".

Referring to Christianity's long history in India, Moore wrote that the religion dates back to the arrival of St Thomas the Apostle on the Malabar Coast. "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 wrote.

"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," he added.

Any organisation wishing to receive funds from foreign sources must obtain FCRA registration from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The registration must be renewed every five years, after which organisations that fail to renew are no longer permitted to receive foreign contributions.

According to data cited in the proposed legislation, India had 14,449 active FCRA registrations as of 15 July 2026. A further 22,498 registrations had been cancelled and 15,212 had expired.

One of the main proposals is the creation of a "Designated Authority" appointed by the central government. Under the draft legislation, the authority would be empowered to take over the management of foreign contributions and assets created using foreign funds if an organisation's FCRA registration is cancelled, surrendered or allowed to lapse because it is not renewed.

The Bill also proposes a minimum utilisation threshold for renewal. Organisations that have received or used less than Rs 10 lakh in foreign contributions during the previous two financial years could become ineligible to renew their FCRA registration.

Other proposed changes include tighter restrictions on transferring foreign contributions to other organisations, deadlines for receiving and using approved foreign funds, and expanded disclosure requirements under the proposed FCRA Amendment Rules, 2026.

The draft rules would require organisations to specify the purposes of foreign contributions, identify the states where projects will be carried out, and provide details of their activities, websites and social media accounts.

The proposed powers of the Designated Authority have emerged as the most contentious aspect of the Bill. Several non-governmental organisations, churches and civil society groups have raised concerns that assets built over many years using foreign contributions could come under government control if an organisation loses or fails to renew its FCRA registration.