SHILLONG : Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president Vincent H. Pala has alleged that the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) will support the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) in Parliament, claiming that the MDA and BJP are effectively the same.
Pala made the statement on Monday while speaking to reporters during a Congress protest against the proposed FCRA amendments in Shillong.
“I think history will tell what they are going to do in Parliament — whether they support FCRA or they oppose it. I am afraid that they will run away. The MDA will definitely support the FCRA. The MDA is BJP only, so where will they go?” Pala said.
Pala accuses Centre of targeting minorities and NGOs
The Meghalaya Congress chief also accused the BJP-led Central Government of using the proposed FCRA amendments as a means to harass minorities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“The government will never be able to wipe out the Christians in India. They have tried it. But this is the way they can harass them,” Pala alleged.
He claimed that the proposed changes could affect not only Christian organisations but also other communities and NGOs receiving foreign contributions.
“Not only Christians, but other communities and NGOs too. It is a way of harassing and a way of looting their property. Everything will be handled by the government authority — that itself is crushing and looting,” he said.
Schools, hospitals and churches could be affected, Pala warns
Pala further warned that the proposed amendments could have implications for institutions that depend on foreign contributions, including schools, hospitals and churches.
“Your schools will be taken away, hospitals will be taken away, the churches will be taken away,” he said.
His remarks came as the Meghalaya Congress stepped up its opposition to the proposed FCRA changes, arguing that the amendments could affect organisations and institutions receiving foreign funding for social, educational, healthcare and religious activities.
Pala predicts change in government
The Congress leader also claimed that the present government has only around two and a half years left and predicted a change in government.
“This government has two and a half years left and I think there will be a change definitely,” Pala said.
The FCRA regulates the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and organisations in India. The proposed amendments have become a major point of political debate, with the Congress opposing the move and raising concerns over its potential impact on NGOs and minority-run institutions.