Thiruvananthapuram | BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said the amendments to the FCRA are aimed at ensuring transparency and strengthening national security, and are "not against any religion or community".
In a Facebook post, Chandrasekhar thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for patiently hearing the concerns raised by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) and providing a detailed clarification on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).
The BJP-led NDA and he were always ready to facilitate discussions with the Centre to address concerns over the amendments, Chandrasekhar said in the FB post on Friday.
The former Union minister noted that the FCRA was enacted by the UPA government in 2010 and that the present NDA government had only amended the law.
He also said the Centre had clarified that the amendments would not have any retrospective effect, addressing concerns relating to existing assets.
According to Chandrasekhar, an official team comprising the Union Home Secretary and the FCRA Director had held detailed discussions with the CBCI leadership, answered all queries and addressed their concerns.
He alleged that the recent meeting exposed what he described as "falsehoods and fear" spread by the Congress and the CPI(M) over the past several months regarding the amendments.
Noting that good governance was possible only through transparent and mutually respectful dialogue, Chandrasekhar reiterated that the FCRA amendments were intended to ensure transparency and strengthen national security, and were not directed against any religion or community.
He also thanked the CBCI leadership for its constructive cooperation and the Centre for responding to the concerns with clarity and respect.
