"Those doing good work will face no obstacle": Maharashtra CM Fadnavis backs FCRA Bill
Nagpur, August 10
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday emphasised that transparent and law-abiding organisations have nothing to fear from the Foreign Contribution Act Bill.
He said that the primary objective behind tightening FCRA norms is to plug loopholes exploited by certain entities to bring foreign money into the country for subversive or unlawful activities.
"The reason for bringing the FCRA Bill is that some organisations have been continuously bringing funds into the country through FCRA and using that money for anti-national activities. Those who are doing good work will face no obstacle or difficulty because of this Bill. The FCRA provisions will continue to remain in place, and those who provide proper accounts will continue to get licences," he said.
The Chief Minister further welcomed the legislation to raise and debate their points on the floor of Parliament.
"I believe that if anyone has anything to say on this issue, they can raise it in Parliament. This is not an issue concerning any one particular community. FCRA is not meant only for Christian organisations. It is applicable to all organisations, irrespective of which community they belong to. Any organisation receiving foreign donations is required to comply with FCRA," he added.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was reintroduced in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon Session. The Bill seeks to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, with the stated objective of enhancing transparency and accountability in the regulation of foreign contributions.
It seeks to establish a Designated Authority tasked with overseeing foreign contributions and assets acquired through such capital in instances where an entity's FCRA registration stands cancelled, surrendered or lapsed.
Further, he extended support to the Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, terming it "a good thing".
Fadnavis underlined that the Prime Minister belongs to the entire nation rather than any single political party.
"The Prime Minister does not belong to any particular party, but belongs to the country. Therefore, if someone meets him, there is nothing wrong in it. Since I am the Chief Minister, many people from opposition parties also meet me and tell me about their work. Therefore, there is no reason to look at this meeting from a different perspective. If they are going to meet him, then it is a good thing," he said.
Outlining his schedule for the 'Tiranga Yatra' campaign, the Maharashtra Chief Minister confirmed that he will participate in events in Mumbai and Pune, and attend the rally in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on August 14.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who's worked with grassroots NGOs in India, I do worry about over-regulation. Some small organizations struggle with paperwork even when their intentions are pure. Hope the new rules aren't too burdensome for legitimate charities.
"Prime Minister does not belong to any particular party, but belongs to the country" - well said Fadnavis ji! This is exactly the kind of national thinking we need. Also glad to see NCP meeting with PM - when everyone works together, development happens faster.
Bilkul sahi baat hai! Every organisation, whether Christian, Hindu, Muslim or any other, should follow the same rules. No one is above the law. Those doing good work for the nation should have no fear. Great initiative by the government. 👏
The transparency angle is important, but I hope there's proper oversight of the Designated Authority itself. Who watches the watchers? Accountability works both ways. Would like to see more details on implementation and appeal mechanisms.
Finally someone addressing this clearly! For years foreign money was being misused to destabilize our nation. The FCRA Bill is a strong step towards protecting our sovereignty. And Fadnavis ji is right - genuine organizations have nothing to fear. Jai Hind! 🙏
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