New Delhi, Aug. 8: India on Friday brushed aside criticism from international voices, including US lawmakers, over the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), asserting that the legislation was an internal matter and countries such as the US also regulated the flow of foreign funds.

Responding to questions at a media briefing, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Parliament alone would decide on the proposed legislation.

“We have indeed taken note of the issue you mentioned, and there have been several comments on it. As far as legislative matters — specifically India’s own — are concerned, these are an internal matter, and our Parliament makes decisions regarding these,” Jaiswal said.

He said the regulation of foreign funding was not unique to India. “I also wish to point out that there are many nations across the world, including the US, that regulate the flow of foreign funds,” he said. The remarks come two days after US Congressman Riley M Moore criticised the proposed FCRA amendments, alleging that these could enable government takeovers of churches and religious charities. Calling the proposal “a clear attack against Christians”, Moore had warned that, if passed in its present form, it could become “a point of major concern” in the India-US bilateral relations.

New Delhi, however, refrained from responding directly to the Congressman’s allegations, limiting its response to reiterating that legislative matters are decided by Parliament and fall within India’s sovereign domain.

The proposed amendments to the FCRA, which governs the receipt and utilisation of foreign contributions by individuals and organisations, are expected to be introduced in Parliament next week.

The proposed changes have triggered a debate, with critics expressing concern over their potential impact on religious and charitable institutions, while the government has maintained that the law is intended to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of foreign funds.

The FCRA framework caters to the intake and utilisation of overseas funding across non-governmental organisations, charitable entities, academic institutions, religious trusts and affiliated bodies. Ministry of Home Affairs figures indicate that 13,520 entities received foreign remittances totalling Rs 55,741 crore between 2019 and 2022.-Agencies