New Delhi [India], August 12 : Congress MP KC Venugopal on Wednesday alleged that the bill was brought in "at the last minute" and accused the government of targeting NGOs and minorities while giving leeway to other organisations.
"This bill was brought at the last minute. At noon, we got a message from the Lok Sabha Secretary that Amit Shah is moving this bill, but Amit Shah remained absent even today. The MoS moved the resolution to send the bill to JPC," Venugopal told reporters outside Parliament.
He said instead of "bulldozing the legislation in din", the government had decided to send the bill to a JPC, but the Opposition's demand remains that it be withdrawn altogether.
"Instead of bulldozing the legislation in din, they are sending the bill to JPC. But our demand is to withdraw the bill. What is the purpose of the bill?" he asked.
Venugopal alleged there was a double standard in the government's approach to foreign donations.
"On one side, RSS is getting donations from all over the world without registration. On the other side, you are targeting the NGOs and minorities, those who are doing good work in the areas of health and education. This is not acceptable," he said.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) Amendment Bill was formally referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Wednesday after the Central Government moved a motion to this effect in Parliament.
Union Minister Nityanand Rai tabled the motion in the Lok Sabha after it resumed proceedings following its adjournment in the morning.
According to the Supplementary List of Business for the Lok Sabha, the proposed Joint Committee will consist of 31 members--21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.
"That the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, be referred to a Joint Committee of the Houses consisting of 21 Members of this House to be nominated by the Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, and 10 Members of Rajya Sabha to be nominated by the Hon'ble Chairman, Rajya Sabha," the motion moved by the Home Minister stated.
The committee has been tasked with conducting an in-depth examination of the legislative provisions and is required to submit its report to the Parliament by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session 2026.
The motion further specified that the quorum for the sittings of the Joint Committee shall be one-third of the total number of its members.
Congress MP KC Venugopal sought withdrawal of the bill; his opposition to the bill also found support from SP MP Akhilesh Yadav.
In reply, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the opposition should welcome the Government's decision to refer the bill to a JPC and added that there was nothing in the bill to target minority institutions.
While the government has moved for a committee review, the Congress party has maintained its firm stance against the legislation, seeking a complete withdrawal of the Bill. The opposition has previously raised concerns that the proposed amendments could be used to target civil society and minority institutions.
The FCRA regulates the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and organisations in the country and seeks to ensure that such contributions are used for the purposes for which they are received.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 and is currently under consideration by Parliament. The revised FCRA Rules, 2026, were notified on June 22 and are in force.