The All India Catholic Union has demanded the complete withdrawal of the FCRA Amendment Bill, raising strong objections to provisions that allow authorities to seize and manage the assets of registered organisations.
"With its memory of government intransigence and political perfidy, the Christian community cannot be fully satisfied until the Union Government withdraws the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, in its entirety from both Houses of Parliament," read a press statement by the All India Catholic Union.
The AICU, 107 years old and the largest laity national confederation in Asia, has called upon the Union government to "give explicit, unequivocal, and written assurances that there shall be no future attempts-whether through legislation, administrative action, or any other means-to usurp the assets and institutions of the Church or to circumscribe, in any form, the religious freedom guaranteed under the Constitution of India."
"These assets and institutions have been built over decades and centuries by the community with its own money and assistance from fellow Christians across the globe, without government funds. These are meant for, and are being utilised in, essential humanitarian, educational, healthcare, and spiritual endeavours among the people of this nation, including regions where there are no government facilities. Government attempts to contain and erode them will hurt the Indian people," said AICU national president Er Elias Vaz.
According to the Christian body, mere withholding or deferral of the said Bill, seemingly calibrated to the electoral calendar in Kerala and other states, offers neither relief nor satisfaction to the community.
"Such a temporary suspension would constitute nothing more than political expediency, revealing a tactical approach rather than a principled adherence to constitutional values. It treats the profound and legitimate concerns of a significant section of Indian citizenry as a matter to be managed for electoral convenience," the statement further said.
The All India Catholic Union has said it rejected this approach in the strongest terms. "Partial or provisional measures serve only to erode public trust, with the government's Damocles sword perpetually hanging over the autonomy and dignity of religious institutions," it added.