00:00but i now want to move forward to the next big story we're tracking here on india today and
00:04that's that showdown over the fcra foreign contribution regulation amendment bill 2026
00:11because that fight has intensified there was a crucial meeting of the jpc joint parliamentary
00:15committee that's examining that bill and that meeting was held today officials from the ministry
00:20of home affairs officials from the ministry of law and justice they briefed the panel clause by
00:25clause explaining their rationale behind the proposed changes and the government stated
00:31objective behind the amendment but the bill is facing a very strong opposition not just from
00:37political leaders but also from certain interest groups who feel that this bill may be used to
00:45target them of course there's also congress party member of parliament from toora from megalai uh
00:51saling sangma saling sangma is congress mp from toora he's confirmed that he'd reached out to
00:57delegates and representatives from countries like the united states south korea australia
01:03england mexico african countries he asked them to pray or appeal to the indian government or words to
01:13that effect over the s3ra amendment bill saling sangma argued that the proposed changes could affect
01:19institutions including churches schools hospitals welfare organizations that depend on foreign
01:26contribution he's argued that this bill is draconian the proposed legislation he says is draconian he's
01:34called for the concerns of megalai and northeast to be addressed effectively and he joins me on this
01:40broadcast saling sangma welcome sir why did you reach out to foreign individuals and entities
01:47on the fcra amendment bill after all what can anybody in the us or south korea or australia or england
01:54uh and and other places what can they do about a proposed indian law sir
02:01no actually i have not approached anybody i have appealed to few of the parliamentarians and a few of
02:08the leaders which we have met in some some part of the you know other area i have appealed to
02:17them to pray
02:19okay appeal them to at least pray for the peace uh so that hello
02:25have you gone through this i mean i want to understand why do you want foreigners to pray
02:30okay okay no sir why if this bill is being examined by the 31 member jpc there was a meeting
02:36that was
02:37held today any issue you may have with this bill if it's draconian if you find some clauses which are
02:42unacceptable sir it has to be sorted out within a country why should foreigners or why should you
02:47expect foreigners to pray i have appealed them to pray for the people of india who are living in india
02:56now have you gone through the you know detail about the fcra now this fcra fcra is a dangerous
03:04attack on the minority and the religious institutions which serve the majority of the you know people
03:11in india okay now we were scared that the dim suggestion for example section 16a 3 5 if the
03:21organization fails to renew its fcra licenses if the you know renewal is delayed or if the government
03:28arbitrarily refused to renew the organization automatically you know cease to access it will
03:35you know it will lose its right and protection no notice no sir then again all these points that
03:44you're raising raise them in the jpc raise them in parliament why reach out to the united states of
03:50mexico why do you want their prayers for you sir no no no no i i am we we are
04:00asking them to pray
04:03you see prathna so that we will get the strength and then you know
04:10sir you are a member of parliament why would you reach out to foreign powers on a domestic indian issue
04:25why seek foreign interference in a matter that is being debated in parliament currently in jpc
04:35no no no no no i said tell me one thing why do we have that why do we have
04:39the international
04:39relationship no why do we have the international relationship especially you talk about the
04:43bricks why president of you why the prime minister has brought the bricks to india tell me one thing
04:48why dsg g20 he's not asking brics leaders to pray in india he's not asking brics leaders to pray for
04:56india sir you know your your request for prayer you know does that not amount to seeking direct
05:04foreign interference in an internal indian affair sir
05:11no no no no no no i'm not here i i'm not telling them to interfere i'm not telling them
05:15to interfere
05:16Here also, I'm appealing them to pray so that we will have a peace.
05:21Nothing more than that.
05:23I'm not appealing them to intervene.
05:25I'm not appealing them to intervene regarding making up the bill.
05:31I'm appealing them to pray for us.
05:33Nothing more than that.
05:35Why do you need foreigners to pray for you is the question I'm asking you, sir.
05:38I'm unable to understand if you have any issue with any clause of the FCRA bill.
05:43Sir, you are a member of parliament.
05:46You don't have to seek foreigners' interference, whatever clause you may have an issue with.
05:52Government has a stated position.
05:54They want to crack down on illegal foreign funding.
05:57They want to ensure if foreign funding is coming into India for X purpose, it should be used for X
06:01and not be diverted to Y.
06:04Whether government actions are legitimate or not can be discussed, debated, fought out in parliament or through courts of law.
06:13Why this opposition or seeking foreign prayers that we will save India in India?
06:23Why?
06:24Why?
06:25You have not seen how our fundamental right has been discriminated?
06:29How?
06:29You have not seen how the people, you know, SESD have been discriminated?
06:34What the hell you are talking about, man?
06:35How?
06:35You don't know that.
06:36You have not seen that one?
06:38I fail to understand.
06:39No.
06:39Sir, please explain to me.
06:41Do you have no trust in institutions in India?
06:45You have no trust in the parliament of India of which you are a member of parliament, sir?
06:50You belong to the principal opposition party.
06:53You have no faith in parliament.
06:54You have no faith in JPC.
06:55You have no faith in courts of law.
07:01What?
07:01What?
07:02Have you not seen?
07:03How?
07:03Have you not seen that?
07:05How?
07:05How this?
07:06How this?
07:07How this?
07:07How this?
07:08I am a member of parliament.
07:10I know that one.
07:11How this election commission?
07:12How this election commission is trying to discriminate?
07:15How this election commission is...
07:16Sir, then go to court.
07:17Sir, you can go to court.
07:19If there is a problem, you go to court.
07:21If there is a problem, you raise it in parliament.
07:24You raise it in media.
07:25You are sitting on television talking about what are the issues you have...
07:30You know, what are the clauses you have an issue with?
07:32Thrash it out internally.
07:34Why would you reach out to foreign powers?
07:36Please pray for us.
07:37Please pray for us.
07:38Why do you want foreigners to pray for you in an internal affair of India?
07:44I am also concerned.
07:45I am just asking them to pray.
07:47Because our fundamental duties and the rights are being disturbed.
07:52What the hell you are talking about?
07:54Nothing wrong with the prayer.
07:55Are you going to a court of law in India, sir?
07:56Christians pray for peace.
08:00Sir, explain to me.
08:02Your political opponents are saying...
08:04You literally seem to be wanting foreign intervention in Indian internal affairs.
08:09You want to reach out to some foreigners saying...
08:14Why would you want to do that?
08:16What do you have to say on that, sir?
08:20I am not begging for foreign help.
08:22I am asking them to pray.
08:23What is wrong with the prayer?
08:27Sir, tell me this.
08:28What part of this bill...
08:29What part of the bill do you find so problematic that you now require foreigners in different parts of the
08:36world to pray for you, sir?
08:41Now, look at 16A, 3, cross 3 and then 6.
08:48Okay?
08:49Administrator assets without judicial override.
08:55So, tell me this.
08:57Tell me this.
08:57You have raised this demand.
08:59You have an issue with this bill.
09:00There is a meeting of the JPC that is happening.
09:03Raise it there.
09:05Deliberate upon this.
09:06Everybody can sit together.
09:08Put their heads together.
09:09Parliament will put their heads together and decide what is best for the people of this country.
09:14After all, that is what you do as lawmakers of this country.
09:17Why would any lawmaker...
09:18You know, we have suffered in history.
09:20We have seen our people going overseas, historically, seeking help.
09:24And we have seen what happened to our country.
09:26Why are you jumping the gun before the parliament has sorted this issue out?
09:33We are, we are, we have met.
09:35Our, our, our, our parliamentarian, we have met.
09:39We have met.
09:40We have asked.
09:42Okay?
09:43But that meeting is still going on.
09:45There was a JPC, MHA briefed you.
09:47Law and Justice Ministry officials briefed.
09:50If there are contentions, you raise it once again internally.
09:53Debated on the floor of the house.
09:55Are you in principle opposed to certain clauses of this bill?
09:58Or are you opposed to the entire FCRA amendment bill 2026?
10:03Or you want to specifically talk about certain clauses that need to be either watered down or removed, sir?
10:11Let me tell you amendment, amendment after amendment is going on.
10:15Nothing wrong with that.
10:16We are not against anybody.
10:18We are just afraid.
10:19We are just afraid that the schools, the colleges and the institutions run by some religious institutions might be seized.
10:28This is what we are appealing to the government of India.
10:32What is wrong to, what is wrong to appeal?
10:35What is wrong to appeal to the, you know?
10:39Because the law existed even earlier, there is a certain classification that is now being made
10:46with the clarification that there will be no change to that religious institution.
10:51Only paperwork has to be complied with.
10:55Paperwork will need to be complied with.
10:57And if you think there is something that is draconian about it, sir, you can raise it in parliament
11:02instead of praying outside, you know, whatever you may have prayed for, world peace.
11:07I want to understand from you, sir.
11:09Is it right to expect foreign entities to have a say in India's internal affairs?
11:16You want them to start meddling into our affairs?
11:19FCRA bill is an Indian internal affair.
11:21If you don't like it, oppose it.
11:23Oppose it tooth and nail.
11:24But why do you want foreigners?
11:26You know, you give them one inch.
11:29Sir, we have been ruled by invaders for 800 years and then another 200 years.
11:33Don't let that history repeat itself, sir.
11:36Anything in India has to be sorted out internally, sir.
11:41Very much.
11:42But what is wrong to appeal for the pair?
11:45Then why the hell you are asking for the BRICS to come?
11:47Why the hell you are asking for the G20 to come?
11:49We have the international relationship.
11:53Sir, BRICS is all about getting economic cooperation.
11:59BRICS is not about foreign interference in India's internal affairs or prayers from foreigners to make laws in India.
12:07Nobody would want any kind of foreign intervention whatsoever as a country, as a people, as a civilization.
12:14We have suffered for a thousand years.
12:17You want history to repeat itself?
12:21No, no, no.
12:22No, it doesn't defy logic at all.
12:24Why?
12:24Tell me one thing.
12:26Are we not asking any loan from the other country?
12:29Tell me.
12:31But are we giving away our sovereignty?
12:33Are we giving away our sovereignty for that?
12:35Are we getting foreigners to interfere in our internal affairs if we are seeking a loan?
12:39Or are we keeping and should we not all keep India first?
12:42Sir, I've run out of time on this part of the show, but this is a debate which we shall
12:46continue to have over the days and weeks ahead.
12:48Mr. Sangma for joining me here on India Today.
12:51Many thanks.
