# India rejects US criticism of FCRA Bill as internal matter 2026-08-07T16:52:46+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet India has rejected criticism from US lawmakers over the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, calling it an internal legislative matter. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday that Parliament decides such issues and noted the US also regulates foreign funds. Congressman Riley Moore had called the Bill a 'clear attack against Christians', warning it could hurt bilateral ties. Several US lawmakers from both parties echoed the concern. Introduced in March, the Bill empowers a government-appointed 'designated authority' to take over foreign contributions and assets of organisations whose FCRA registration is cancelled, denied, or lapsed. Under the Bill, the maximum prison term for violations drops from five years to one year. As of July 2026, about 14,450 groups hold active FCRA registration, while over 37,700 registrations have been cancelled or lapsed. ## Coverage - thehindu.com - thehindubusinessline.com - thefederal.com - telanganatoday.com Tags: FCRA Amendment Bill, foreign funding, MEA, Parliament, religious organisations, US Congressman Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/india-rejects-us-lawmakers-criticism-of-fcra-bill-as-internal-matter/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/india-rejects-us-lawmakers-criticism-of-fcra-bill-as-internal-matter/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.