Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 6 Aug: The Uttarakhand BJP has extended full support to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) Bill in Parliament, describing it as a historic step for the country’s internal security and sovereignty. State party president and Rajya Sabha member Mahendra Bhatt today claimed that the stringent provisions on foreign funding will completely curb organised attempts at religious conversion in Uttarakhand as well.
Speaking to the media, Bhatt observed that while many institutions and NGOs receive foreign contributions, it is unfortunate and alarming that a significant portion of these funds is diverted to anti‑social and unlawful activities like mass religious conversions. He pointed out that, in Uttarakhand, particularly in the hill regions, several organisations have been engaged in religious conversion activities under the guise of social work. He noted that the Dhami government has already instilled fear among such elements through the strict anti‑conversion law, and that the BJP now expects the FCRA Bill to ensure that foreign‑funded conversion efforts are fully checked.
He clarified that the primary objective of amending FCRA rules is to bring complete transparency in foreign funding, clamp down on the illegal activities and protect the democratic framework from external interference. He stressed that foreign money must never be used to disturb internal peace, damage the social fabric or influence national politics, and the Bill ensures that every foreign contribution is utilised only for legitimate purposes.
Bhatt criticised the opposition for its contradictory stance, accusing it of opposing the Bill merely to protect organisations dependent on dubious foreign funding. He said this exposes their casual attitude towards national security and questioned how anyone could object to stricter rules that enable close monitoring of suspicious activities and institutions, thereby preventing foreign contributions from being misused for anti‑national agendas.
He affirmed that the BJP welcomes this nation‑centric decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urged all the political parties to support the legislation that strengthens the country.
