New Delhi, June 25: Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal penned a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, raising the party’s “vehement objection” to the notification of new (Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment) FCRA rules and demanded its withdrawal with immediate effect. He termed the latest amendments as “draconian” and stated that they would “stifle” the autonomy of NGOs, particularly those run by minority community members.
The Congress leader claimed that the Central government was trying to monetarily cripple small NGOs by bringing in harsh financial punishments and said that the mandatory disclosure of social media accounts was nothing but “creeping surveillance”. Notably, the Union Home Ministry notified the new FCRA rules recently.
The new amendments have tightened the rules governing foreign funding received by NGOs under FCRA and also require greater disclosure from the organisations, including details of their social media accounts and their areas of operation. Venugopal, in his letter to PM Modi, stated that these amendments will severely cripple the autonomy and hamper the regular functioning of civil society organisations, especially those run by minority institutions.
“After the failed attempt to introduce an Amendment to the FCRA in March 2026 in the Lok Sabha, the government is yet again trying to bring in amendments that give it powers to seize properties of institutions whose licenses are cancelled/expired,” he stated. He further said that it was shocking to know that the legislation was now being pushed through the back door.
“We reject this draconian step. The government must allow civil society groups and minority-run institutions to function without fear or threat,” he noted. “The relentless weaponisation of FCRA over the past few years has already led to cancellation of thousands of licences, depriving millions of Indians of crucial aid in healthcare, education and livelihood generation. A vibrant democracy requires an independent and empowered civil society and not a subjugated one,” the Congress MP wrote in the letter, while urging the Prime Minister to immediately withdraw the FCRA amendments.
IANS
