New Delhi: The Central government’s resolution to refer the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was accepted by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday amid massive uproar by the Opposition members.
The JPC will consist of 21 MPs from the Lok Sabha and 10 Rajya Sabha members.
“The Committee shall make a report to this House by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session 2026; that in other respect, the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of this House relating to Parliamentary Committees shall apply with such variations and modifications as the Speaker may make; and that this House recommends to Rajya Sabha that Rajya Sabha do join the said Joint Committee and communicate to this House names of the Members to be appointed by Rajya Sabha to the Joint Committee,” the resolution, as listed in the supplementary list of business, read.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai moved the motion to refer the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 to a JPC.
Congress member K.C. Venugopal said that the Opposition demands the complete withdrawal of the Bill as it is focused on targeting NGOs and the “minority” organisations and institutions.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the Bill does not aim to “target minorities”, while also pointing out that the Opposition itself had demanded the Bill to be sent to the JPC. He said the Bill only ensures the security of the country.
Countering Rijiju, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav stated that “there isn’t a single Bill which the government brought and was not only focused on minorities”.
Responding to the SP chief, Rijiju stated that the country is not a “banana republic” and is run by the Constitution, adding that there is no provision in the Bill that “targets the minorities”.
Amid the relentless sloganeering, the resolution to send the FCRA Bill to the JPC was adopted in the Lok Sabha by a voice vote.
Subsequently, the House was adjourned till 3 p.m.
(IANS)
