Congress Raises Concerns Over FCRA Bill JPC Process, Seeks Speaker’s Intervention

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal wrote to the Speaker on Thursday, questioning what he described as shortcomings in the committee's proceedings. He argued that legislation referred to a JPC should undergo extensive examination before being brought back to Parliament.

Venugopal asked the Speaker to ensure that the committee invites written submissions from affected stakeholders through a public notice and conducts oral hearings with those who could be impacted by the proposed legislation.

He also sought sufficient time for the committee to complete its work, including an extension of its deadline if necessary, rather than proceeding under what he described as an accelerated schedule.

Another request was for JPC members to be given adequate opportunity to examine the Bill clause by clause. Venugopal also urged that the legislation should not be brought before the House for consideration until the committee has completed what he considers a thorough examination.

The Congress leader said a JPC reference is intended to facilitate wider consultation and deeper scrutiny. In his letter, he listed NGOs, charitable organisations, religious institutions, voluntary groups, legal experts and state governments among the stakeholders whose views should be considered.

Venugopal alleged that meaningful consultations had not taken place and expressed concern that the Bill could be pushed through Parliament during the forthcoming Winter Session. He argued that such an approach would undermine the purpose of referring the legislation to a parliamentary committee.

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 and referred to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee on August 12 following objections raised by opposition MPs and other stakeholders.

The proposed legislation deals with the supervision, management and disposal of foreign contributions and assets belonging to organisations whose FCRA registration has been cancelled, surrendered or otherwise ceased. Among its provisions is a framework under which certain assets could vest with a designated authority.

The Bill has attracted scrutiny over provisions concerning organisations whose FCRA registration ends, including questions around the treatment of assets created using foreign contributions and the absence of an appeal mechanism in certain renewal-related situations.

In his public statement, Venugopal described the legislation as sensitive and said it could have implications for civil society organisations and minority communities. These are the Congress leader's characterisations of the Bill and its potential impact.

The JPC is chaired by BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal and includes members from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Its recorded proceedings include a briefing by Ministry of Home Affairs representatives on the Bill on September 18.

Venugopal said he had approached the Speaker to seek assurances that the committee would have the opportunity to obtain broader stakeholder feedback and conduct detailed deliberations before finalising its recommendations.

The Congress has argued that the credibility of the parliamentary process depends on legislation being subjected to meaningful examination before it is considered by the House.