The government is likely to adopt a cautious approach on the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill as it seeks to build political consensus on key issues such as delimitation and the implementation of the women's reservation law from 2029, according to a report by The Times of India.
The bill is not listed in the Lok Sabha agenda for Monday, which marks the beginning of the final week of the Monsoon Session. With Parliament scheduled to adjourn on August 13, the government has only a few working days left to introduce and pass the legislation.
The Lok Sabha's Business Advisory Committee is expected to discuss the schedule for the remaining days of the session. A decision on when the FCRA Amendment Bill will be taken up could indicate the government's approach towards the proposed legislation.
Introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, the FCRA Amendment Bill has not yet come up for debate. Several Opposition parties and minority organisations have raised objections to the proposed changes, particularly Christian groups that receive foreign contributions for social and charitable activities.
These organisations have argued that the proposed amendments could affect their operations. They have also raised concerns over provisions that may allow the government to take control of assets if an organisation's FCRA registration is cancelled or not renewed.
Government weighs political calculations
The legislation has also gained political significance due to opposition from the DMK. DMK president M.K. Stalin recently supported a request by representatives of various churches seeking withdrawal of the bill or its referral to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed examination.
The government is meanwhile seeking support from regional parties for its proposed delimitation exercise, which is linked to the planned implementation of the women's reservation law from 2029.
According to the report, some MPs believe the government may avoid pushing the FCRA Bill immediately to prevent creating difficulties with parties whose backing could be important for these initiatives.
NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule has also opposed the proposed amendments. Meanwhile, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah that a discussion on the bill was expected on August 12.
Supriya Sule's meeting with PM Modi
Against this backdrop, a delegation of all eight Lok Sabha MPs from the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), headed by working president Supriya Sule, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on Monday.
The meeting, which reportedly lasted around 15-20 minutes, focused on issues concerning Maharashtra and constituency-specific concerns, according to Sule.
The delegation raised several issues affecting the state, including drought, water scarcity, onion prices and pollution in the Chandrabhaga river. MPs also discussed matters related to the development and concerns of their respective constituencies.
Sule later said the discussions with the Prime Minister centred on issues concerning Maharashtra, reported PTI.
The meeting, however, assumed political significance amid speculation over the NCP (SP)'s position on the proposed Delimitation Bill. The party is part of the Opposition INDIA bloc, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP is aligned with the BJP-led NDA.
There has been speculation that the Sharad Pawar faction could extend issue-based support to the Centre on certain matters.
Differing views on delimitation
A day before the meeting, Maharashtra NCP (SP) president Shashikant Shinde had said the party was not opposed to discussing the Delimitation Bill if the Centre assured that the exercise would not be used for political gains.
He said the party supported women's reservation but was concerned about the possibility of delimitation being misused to redraw constituencies for political advantage.
However, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar took a firmer position, saying all party MPs would oppose the proposed legislation in Parliament. He argued that delimitation could be used to alter Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies and alleged that such a move could adversely affect the democratic process.
The differing statements have triggered questions over the party's internal position on the legislation ahead of its possible discussion in Parliament.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi has also sought clarity from the NCP (SP) on its stand. Congress leader Sachin Sawant urged the party's MPs to convey to the Prime Minister that the women's reservation legislation passed in 2023 should be implemented immediately and should not be linked to the delimitation exercise.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant said the NCP (SP) delegation's meeting with Modi was primarily related to public issues, including the Samruddhi Expressway and the ongoing agitation over the Pune-Nashik railway line. He said the MPs were meeting the Prime Minister to press for these demands.
With the FCRA Amendment Bill yet to be listed for debate and the government simultaneously seeking political support on delimitation and women's reservation, the coming days of the Monsoon Session could prove crucial in determining the Centre's approach towards the proposed legislation.
