US lawmaker calls FCRA amendment 'clear attack against Christians', warns new bill could hit ties with India

A US lawmaker has raised an alarm over a fresh amendment to India's foreign funding law, terming it hostile toward the Christian community and cautioning it could sour diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Washington.

Congressman Riley Moore alleged that the proposed changes to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act would hand authorities the ability to assume control of churches and faith-based charitable bodies. The row comes even as the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 remains a flashpoint in Parliament's Monsoon Session.

Congressman flags concerns on social media

In a post on X, Moore opened by tracing the roots of Christianity on Indian soil, referencing the arrival of St. Thomas the Apostle, before turning his attention to the legislation itself. "Christians have been in India since St. Thomas the Apostle travelled to the Malabar Coast just decades after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ," he wrote.

He then took aim at the Bill itself: "But despite this long Christian history, India's Parliament is considering amending Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment (FCRA) rules to permit government takeovers of churches and religious charities."

"This is a clear attack against Christians. If this bill proceeds in this way, it would be a point of major concern in our bilateral relationship with India," he added.

The changes proposed under the Bill

At its core, the legislation aims to revise the existing 2010 FCRA framework, which sets the rules for how NGOs, trusts, educational bodies, religious institutions and similar entities can receive and spend money coming in from overseas. As things stand, any such organisation needs sign-off from the Ministry of Home Affairs before it can accept foreign funds, and that clearance must be renewed once every five years.

Figures shared alongside the Bill put the number of currently valid FCRA registrations at 14,449, as of July 15, 2026. A further 22,498 registrations have been revoked over time, and another 15,212 have simply run out. Foreign funds flowing into FCRA-registered bodies between 2019 and 2022 added up to Rs 55,741 crore.

Perhaps the most far-reaching change on the table is a new government-appointed Designated Authority, which would have the power to step in and manage an organisation's foreign funds and any property built using them, should that organisation's registration be cancelled, given up voluntarily, or left to expire.

There's also a new spending floor built into the renewal process; groups that used up less than Rs 10 lakh in foreign money across the previous two financial years risk losing eligibility to renew. Beyond this, the Bill tightens the rules around passing foreign funds from one organisation to another, sets firmer timelines for how quickly overseas money must be used, and expands what organisations must publicly disclose about their projects, online presence and social media activity.

The source of the backlash

Much of the opposition centres on how much power the new Designated Authority would actually hold. Critics, ranging from opposition parties to NGOs and civil society voices, say the changes effectively give the central government outsized control over any organisation that relies on money from abroad. Christian groups in particular worry that institutions such as schools, hospitals and welfare centres, built up over generations using foreign donations, could end up under state control the moment a registration lapses or gets cancelled.

This anxiety is felt most acutely in Kerala, where numerous Christian-run institutions in education and healthcare have long depended on funding from outside India.