Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday defended the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, which it is argued is essential to block misuse of foreign money for activities he termed as “anti-national”.
In response to the Congress alleging the proposed amendments to be anti-Christian, Fadnavis responded during the sidelines of an event in Nagpur. He said that the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) covered groups from every religion and community.
The proposed changes, Fadnavis added, are for better accountability of foreign donations and to not be channeled into any activity that may work against the nation’s interests.
In a development that gives great relief to legal organisations, Fadnavis has said that they will not be affected.
Organisations involved in “lawful social and charitable activities” won’t be hampered by the bill, Fadnavis stated.
He had then stated that some organisations had been getting foreign funds through FCRA and are using it for the “anti-national” activity. He said, however, that organisations meeting the requirements and keeping sound financial books will continue to have their licenses.
The remarks are in response to recent amendments made to FCRA guidelines, which have sparked concerns from a number of Christian organisations. The government in June announced new guidelines for NGOs that receive foreign aid, which stipulate that the organisations must choose their purpose and areas of activity from a pre-determined list. A variety of faith-related activities are still allowed, but proselytisation is banned in some of them.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) and other Christian bodies have had discussions with the Union government requesting it take back the proposed legislation and the new rules.
The government is open to feedback from both sides on the Bill and those who do not like it will get a chance to voice their grievances in Parliament, Fadnavis said.
He restated that the FCRA mechanism does not have any religious community as its target, but it works for every organization that receives foreign funds.