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'US Regulates Foreign Funds Too': MEA Responds To Congressman's FCRA Remark
The Ministry of External Affairs has slammed US Congressman Riley Moore's remark on the FCRA bill which is set to be brought into Parliament. Moore had recently called the FCRA bill "an attack on Christians," to which the MEA has responded sharply.
The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders. This time even an US lawmaker has come out and opposed the bill, stating that the bill would allow India, "to take over churches." The MEA has responded sharply to the same. The MEA called legislative matters an internal affair. The MEA also called out the US, saying that Washington was among those nations where the flow of funds was regulated.
Republican member of the US Congress Moore 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, 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.
One of the main proposals in the FCRA bill 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.