NEW DELHI — India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has rejected criticism from a United States lawmaker regarding proposed changes to India's foreign funding law, stating that domestic legislation is an internal matter for Parliament to decide.

During a bi-weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that foreign funding and financing are regulated by numerous countries across the world, including the United States itself. The response follows remarks from US Congressman Riley Moore, a Republican from West Virginia, who alleged that the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 represents an attack against Christians and could harm India-US bilateral relations.

In a post on X, Moore referenced the history of Christianity in India dating back to St Thomas the Apostle, while expressing concern over provisions that would allow government takeovers of churches and religious charities.

Key aspects of the proposed legislation and current foreign funding statistics include:

• Designated Authority: The 2026 Bill proposes creating an authority to manage foreign contributions and assets when an organization's FCRA registration lapses, is cancelled, or is surrendered.
• Protection of Worship Places: If managed assets include a place of worship, the Designated Authority is required to preserve its religious character.
• Penalty Reduction: The maximum imprisonment term for FCRA violations would be reduced from five years to one year.
• Funding Volume: According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, 13,520 organizations received foreign contributions totaling Rs 55,741 crore between 2019 and 2022.
• Registration Figures: Government data indicates that as of July 15, 2026, there were 14,449 active FCRA registrations, 22,498 cancelled registrations, and 15,212 expired registrations.