Before Amending FCRA, BJP Should Reveal Foreign Funds Received Under PM CARES, Electoral Bonds: Akhilesh Yadav

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has posted on X questioning the Bharatiya Janata Party's own financial accountability as it attempts to regulate foreign funding for NGOs through the amendments in the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill.

Amid fervent protests, and facing pushback from the opposition in Kerala, as well as Christian leaders in the poll-bound state, the Union government on April 1 deferred the consideration and passage of the contentious Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha.

Yadav raised several accusations on the lack of transparency around foreign funds received by the PM CARES Fund, questioning the legitimacy of money received through electoral bonds, the alleged unchecked foreign funding linked to BJP-associated entities, and concerns over unaccounted donations collected in the name of temple construction.

In his Hindi post, Yadav wrote that the BJP should explain the following:

"The money that came into the PM CARE FUND from abroad—will it be returned, or will it be swallowed up by granting it special exemptions like audits?

"When will the BJP return the money that came through electoral bonds? If the electoral bonds themselves have been declared illegal, how can the money received from them be legitimate?

"And what will happen to the money that flows into the accounts of the so-called unregistered Red Fort NGOs? Could this be an internal fight to cut off its foreign roots?

"And who will account for the so-called charitable collections gathered in the name of temple construction, which were gobbled up by BJP-affiliated mask organisations – meaning councils, wings, etc.? Immense sums came into those from abroad as well. Recovery should be made from the accounts and properties of all the officials connected to them."

Yadav claims the Bill reflects an authoritarian approach aimed at weakening independent NGOs, especially those that outperform the government, while ignoring illicit wealth flowing abroad at the behest of politically connected individuals.

"In fact, this is the undemocratic, hyper-controlling, monopolistic mindset of BJP politics, which seeks to exert unwanted control over NGOs, turn them into its puppets, and, under this pretext, slowly gobble up their properties.

"The BJP government itself does nothing, and it doesn't want even the genuine independent NGOs that are doing good work to do so either—because sometimes the public says that non-governmental organisations are showing far better results than the government, which leads to the government facing severe embarrassment on multiple fronts and exposes the BJP's failures.

"The BJP should also explain: So many restrictions are being imposed on money coming legally from abroad, but what about that vast illicit wealth being smuggled out illegally – meaning the riches their friends are taking abroad, living fearlessly and luxuriously there? When will their lands and properties be seized for recovery, or will those "fugitive BJP brothers" continue to get the same special exemptions that their informant allies, ideological forebears, and collaborators with imperialist powers enjoyed before independence? This time, the public will shut down the BJP's ATM of partisanship."

Yadav finished with the note, "The BJP's malice and dishonesty form the foundation of every one of its bills. If the BJP goes, there will be peace!"

The Wire has reported on how, after years of cancelling and suspending FCRA licences on grounds ranging from procedural lapses and tax filing errors to allegations of “anti-development” activity and public advocacy, and several rounds of tightening its rules – including one stalled but ongoing effort – the Union government has refused to share even basic, aggregated information on such actions with Parliament, citing secrecy. This came to light when CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas said his repeated attempts since 2024 to seek details on FCRA cancellations, non-renewals and related data had been disallowed in the Rajya Sabha.

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