A US lawmaker has raised concerns over proposed amendments to India's foreign funding law, saying the changes could affect bilateral relations between the two countries.
Congressman Riley Moore said the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) would allow the Indian government to take over the management of churches and religious charities in certain circumstances. He described the proposal as a "clear attack against Christians".
"Christians have been in India since St Thomas the Apostle travelled to the Malabar Coast just decades after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. But despite this long Christian history, India's Parliament is considering amending the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act to permit government takeovers of churches and religious charities," Moore, a Republican representing West Virginia, said in a post on X.
"This is a clear attack against Christians. If this Bill proceeds in this way, it would be a point of major concern in our bilateral relationship with India," said Moore, who is serving his first term in Congress.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 proposes creating a "Designated Authority" to take over the management of foreign contributions and assets created using those funds when an organisation's registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act is cancelled, surrendered or expires because it is not renewed.
The Bill also states that if the assets include a place of worship, the authority must ensure that its religious character is maintained.
The proposed legislation would also reduce the maximum prison sentence for violations of the Act from five years to one year.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, 13,520 organisations received Rs 557.41 billion (£4.9bn) in foreign contributions between 2019 and 2022.
The ministry's Foreign Contribution Regulation Act portal shows that, as of July 15, 2026, there were 14,449 active registrations, while 22,498 had been cancelled and 15,212 had expired.
(PTI)
