Akhilesh Yadav Calls FCRA Bill ‘Rigged’, Questions BJP Over PM CARES, NGO Funds

Lucknow, April 1: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday questioned the Centre's intentions behind the proposed "rigged" Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday criticised the Centre's proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, calling it "rigged" and raising questions about the legitimacy of funds received by the BJP through the PM CARES Fund, electoral bonds and NGOs.

In an X post, Yadav asked whether foreign funds received into the PM CARES Fund would be returned and questioned why money received through electoral bonds is considered legitimate. He argued that if electoral bonds are declared illegal, the donations received via them cannot be justified. Lok Sabha to Discuss FCRA Amendment Bill, ATF Excise Duty; Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman to Lead Key Debates.

"In the name of regulating foreign funding for NGOs, before bringing in the rigged Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, the BJP should explain: - The money that came into the PM CARE FUND from abroad--will it be returned, or will it too be gobbled up by granting it the same special exemption as an audit? - When will the BJP return the money that came through electoral bonds? If the electoral bonds themselves have been declared illegal, how can the money received from them be legitimate?" said Akhilesh Yadav.

He further raised concerns over unaccounted funds in NGOs and religious organisations, saying, "And what will happen to the money that flows into the accounts of the so-called unregistered Lal Kilai NGO? Could this be an internal fight to cut off its own foreign roots? And who will account for the so-called charitable collections gathered in the name of temple construction, which were pocketed by BJP-affiliated mask organizations--meaning councils, wings, etc.? Enormous sums of money came from abroad into those as well. Recovery should be made from the accounts and properties of all the officials connected to them."

Yadav criticised the BJP's approach to NGOs, calling it monopolistic and controlling."In fact, this is the undemocratic, hyper-controlling, monopolistic mindset of BJP politics, which seeks to exert unwanted control over NGOs, turn them into its puppets, and, under this pretext, slowly swallow up their properties. The BJP government itself does nothing, and it doesn't want even the genuine independent NGOs doing good work to operate, because sometimes people say that non-governmental organizations are showing better results than the government itself--this leads to massive embarrassment for the government on multiple fronts and exposes the BJP's failures," he said. Keralam CM Vijayan Writes to PM Modi Expressing Concerns over FCRA Amendment Bill.

He further questioned the handling of wealth sent abroad illegally, adding, "While legal foreign funding is heavily restricted, what about the vast wealth being sent abroad illegally by BJP associates? When will their properties be recovered? Or will these 'fugitive BJP brothers' continue to enjoy special exemptions like their ideological predecessors? The public will eventually shut down the BJP's partisan financial network. Malice and dishonesty form the foundation of every BJP bill." The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 25 and seeks to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, and is aimed at enhancing the transparency and accountability of foreign contributions in India. It has also been listed for discussion in the Lok Sabha later in the day.

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)