Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi, April 2026: The Congress party has sharply criticised the Union government’s proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), dubbing the FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026, as a direct blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) efforts to woo Christian voters in Kerala, just days before the state Assembly elections on April 9.
The Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, 2026, by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, sought to tighten oversight of foreign funding to NGOs and associations. Key provisions included the creation of a “designated authority” empowered to take control, manage, or dispose of assets of organisations whose FCRA registration is cancelled, suspended, surrendered, or ceases. The government described the changes as measures to enhance transparency, curb misuse of foreign funds, prevent money laundering, and ensure proper utilisation of contributions.
However, the move triggered strong opposition from church bodies, the Congress-led UDF, and the CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala, where a significant Christian population—particularly in central Travancore—holds sway in several constituencies. Church leaders, including those from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), expressed fears that the amendments could severely impact the operational survival of Christian-run institutions such as schools, hospitals, orphanages, and charitable trusts that rely on overseas donations for their work.
Congress leaders, including AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, accused the BJP-led Centre of using the Bill as a tool to arm-twist “honest philanthropic institutions” and target minority communities. Venugopal described it as a “Sword of Damocles” hanging over the Christian community. Senior Congress figures and Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K. Mani called the legislation “poison coated in sugar,” alleging it aimed to curb the charitable activities of churches and potentially seize control of their properties and assets.
The controversy erupted at a sensitive time for the BJP, which has invested years in a “Christian outreach” programme in Kerala. This includes engaging church leaders, symbolic gestures, and efforts to project a pragmatic approach to break the traditional dominance of the UDF and LDF. Political observers noted that the Bill risked undoing these gains by sowing suspicion among a community the saffron party was trying to court.
Amid mounting backlash from bishops, protests in Parliament by opposition MPs, and letters from Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre deferred discussion on the Bill. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju blamed Congress and Left leaders for “misleading” people in Kerala for electoral gains. BJP Kerala unit president Rajeev Chandrasekhar repeatedly called the Congress narrative “lies” and “propaganda,” insisting the amendments targeted illegal activities and money laundering, not any community, and would not harass genuine NGOs. He assured Christians that no one would be affected adversely.
Despite the deferral and assurances from BJP leaders, analysts and reports suggested the episode had already damaged the party’s outreach efforts. Some viewed the backtrack as a tactical retreat driven by electoral calculations in Kerala, where Christian votes remain decisive. Opposition parties, including DMK and others outside Kerala, echoed the criticism, framing the Bill as part of a broader pattern targeting minorities after the Waqf Amendment Bill.
The row has dominated election discourse in Christian-dominated pockets, with church concerns amplifying opposition attacks. While the BJP maintains the focus is on regulatory reform and transparency, the Congress and its allies continue to project the episode as evidence of the Centre’s “anti-minority” stance, potentially complicating the saffron party’s southern expansion strategy.
The Bill remains deferred to the next session of Parliament, with its future uncertain amid the ongoing political heat in Kerala.
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