Chennai, April 4 The Centre introduced the FCRA Bill targeting the properties of Christians, and there is no obvious national security interest in the intention to deprive minorities of their property, DMK Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson claimed here on Saturday.
The Centre's intention of introducing the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment (FCRA) Bill was to target Christians during Easter, causing them to feel apprehensive, the senior advocate further claimed.
Condemning the 2026 FCRA Bill introduced by the Modi government, he alleged that the sole objective was to target Christian missionaries, NGOs, and churches. "The provision for retroactively seizing property is draconian, similar to staging a robbery at gunpoint in the house," Wilson told reporters.
This move came at a time when Christians were observing Easter, and it not only hurt their feelings but also caused fear, he claimed, and wondered what national security interest the government saw in taking over Christian-run institutions, including educational institutions, hospitals, and orphanages.
Chief Minister M K Stalin, who has already taken up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will not allow the amendment to be passed, he said.
The FCRA Amendment Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, seeks to enhance transparency and ensure the proper utilization of foreign funds, while preventing their misuse against national security and interests.
Wilson claimed that in a "calculated move" since 2014, the BJP "cut funding for Christian missions and churches by foreign benefactors."
Unlike land acquisition laws, which provided due process, this amendment facilitates the immediate confiscation of vital assets such as schools, colleges, hospitals, and orphanages, thereby preventing the poor, regardless of their religious affiliation, from benefiting from these services, he alleged.
"Since 2014, the Modi government has deliberately been working to dismantle these organizations, citing the cancellation of over 20,000 charitable institution licenses, including 2,500 Christian ones in 2020, often under the pretext of national security," the senior advocate claimed.
Although the current bill related to these amendments was postponed due to elections, fears persist that it will be passed later, but the DMK has vowed to oppose it in Parliament, he said.
The MP said in the past the government had targeted Muslim Waqf properties.
He said that Christian missionaries have historically played a significant role in education and social welfare, particularly in India's tribal regions.