U.S. lawmaker voices concern on FCRA amendments; says could hit bilateral ties with India
U.S. Congressman Riley Moore has criticized India's proposed FCRA amendments, arguing they could lead to government takeovers of religious charities and harm bilateral relations. The bill seeks to empower the government to manage foreign contributions and assets of organizations whose registration is cancelled.
Why it matters
The criticism highlights potential diplomatic friction between the U.S. and India regarding religious freedom and the regulation of foreign funding for NGOs.
A U.S. lawmaker has voiced concern over the amendments proposed by India to its laws governing foreign donations received by NGOs, trusts, educational institutions and religious organisations, and said the move could affect bilateral relations.
U.S. Congressman Riley Moore on Tuesday (August 4, 2026) said the amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) would permit the Indian government to takeover churches and religious charities and would amount to “clear attack against Christians”.
“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. 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,” Mr. Moore, a Republican from West Virginia, said in a post on X.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in