New Delhi: Several Christian groups including the National Council of Churches in India, Apostles Methodist Church and Evangelical Church of India on Thursday (November 12) demanded the withdrawal of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment (FCRA) Bill, 2026 alleging that the proposed law’s provisions would undermine religious freedom and hamper services to marginalised communities, reported Economic Times.The Christian organisations spoke about their concerns before a joint parliamentary committee meeting for examining the Bill. The ET report added citing sources that representatives of various organisations presented their views at the meeting on Thursday.In contrast to the opposition by Christian bodies, organisations linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), including Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad and Rashtriya Sewa Bharati welcomed the bill and maintained that foreign contributions needed to be regulated and the Bill was a step in the right direction.On August 4, despite protests from the opposition demanding its withdrawal, the FCRA Bill 2026 was sent to the JPC by a voice vote. The resolution to send the bill to the JPC was moved by MoS Home Nityanand Rai as Union home minister Amit Shah remained absent in the Lok Sabha.This is the second time the government has had to defer bringing the bill to the House. While the bill was first brought to the Lok Sabha in the Budget session, it was deferred on April 1 ahead of the Kerala assembly elections facing pushback from the opposition as well as Christian leaders in the poll-bound state.The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 proposes the creation of a “designated authority” to take provisional or permanent control of assets of NGOs whose FCRA licences are cancelled, surrendered or lapsed. This includes powers to manage and dispose of such assets. It also introduces timelines for utilisation of funds, regulating assets during suspension, rationalising penalties and requiring prior approval of the central government for initiating investigations.