New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a motion to refer the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), amid strong opposition from the Congress and other Opposition parties.

The motion was passed by voice vote. The proposed JPC will have 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the move, saying the Opposition should welcome the decision to send the Bill to a JPC instead of opposing it.

Rijiju also accused the Opposition of making concerted efforts to mislead people about the proposed FCRA amendments and said the legislation would now undergo detailed scrutiny by the parliamentary panel.

The development came amid protests from the Congress, which has continued to oppose the Bill and demanded that the government withdraw it.

Earlier in the day, Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had supported the demand for a JPC examination of the legislation.

“It should be sent,” Kharge said when asked whether the Bill should be referred to the committee.

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 seeks to amend the law governing the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and organisations in India.

The FCRA regulates foreign contributions and aims to ensure that such funds are used for the purposes for which they are received.

The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 and has faced criticism from Opposition parties, which have sought greater scrutiny of its provisions.

The revised FCRA Rules, 2026, were notified by the Centre on June 22 and are already in force.

With the Lok Sabha approving the motion, the proposed 31-member JPC will now examine the Bill and submit its recommendations before the legislation proceeds further in Parliament.