NEW DELHI: The passage of FCRA amendment bill is not in Lok Sabha’s agenda for Monday as Parliament’s monsoon session enters its last week, giving rise to the view that government may be going slow on the contentious piece of legislation to sweeten the deal for parties such as DMK and NCP(SP), which are opposed to its provisions and are being seen by the governing alliance as prospective backers for its delimitation exercise.Sources said the meeting of LS’s business advisory committee, where upcoming agenda items are finalised, on Monday will give more clarity as a schedule for discussion on the bill should be fixed if it has to be taken up for passage in the remaining four days of Parliament’s monsoon session ending on Aug 13. Monday’s agenda includes the introduction of four bills but makes no mention of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill.
Government may prefer full-fledged debate on FCRA to address criticism against the bill
The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 25 but has not been taken up for discussion yet, amid fierce protest from opposition parties and minority groups, especially Christian bodies.Christian groups, which are a major recipient of foreign funding, have decried the proposed amendments, saying it threatens their charitable works and will allow the government to seize their assets if their FCRA licence is withdrawn or not renewed.What has, though, made things politically trickier for the BJP is the support extended by DMK president M K Stalin to the demand of a delegation representing churches of different denominations in their meeting with home minister Amit Shah that the bill be either withdrawn or sent to a joint parliamentary committee for scrutiny.
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With the government looking to assuage DMK’s concerns to get it on board before it makes a fresh bid for Parliament’s nod for its delimitation exercise, coupled with implementation of the women’s reservation law from 2029, it may not like to put the regional party on the defensive by bringing up the FCRA bill, some MPs said.Supriya Sule of NCP SP, another party being eyed by the government as a probable supporter for the amendment bill, has also opposed the FCRA bill.Mizoram CM Lalduhoma had told the media after joining a group of Church bodies from his state for a meeting with Amit Shah on Thursday that he was told that a debate on the bill is expected to be held on Aug 12.The continuing impasse in Parliament due to the opposition’s protests has added uncertainty as the government will prefer a full-fledged debate so that the home ministry could address the criticism around the bill.