Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern over some provisions of the proposed amendments in the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). In the letter, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that some sections of the draft bill have created serious concerns among minority communities and religious institutions across the country.
Along with this, he has requested the Central Government to consider it once again before taking these amendments forward. This information has been shared by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) of Kerala by issuing an official statement.
What was said in the proposed amendments to FCRA?
According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) of Kerala, a key provision of the proposed bill states that if the application for renewal of FCRA registration is rejected within the stipulated time limit or no action is taken on it, then the registration certificate will be considered automatically canceled and in such a situation, the foreign contributions and the assets related to them will go under the control of an authority nominated by the Central Government.
What did CM Pinarayi Vijayan say in the letter written to PM Modi?
Chief Minister Vijayan said in a letter to PM Modi that the existing FCRA, 2010 is sufficient to deal with any activity that goes against the interest of the general public. He expressed concern that technical delays in the renewal process or mistakes made during the process could lead to cancellation of registration and temporary acquisition of properties by the Central Government.
He warned that if registration is not renewed within the stipulated time, properties may be confiscated even for minor technical reasons. Referring to alleged attacks on places of worship of minority communities in different parts of the country, the Chief Minister said that such concerns are completely justified and serious. Along with this, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has requested at the end of the letter that the concerns raised by minority groups and other stakeholders should be addressed before taking this bill forward.
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