New Delhi : The corridors of Parliament were abuzz on Wednesday afternoon with speculation over whether the government would push for the FCRA bill this week, or delay it to address the elephant in the room — the delimitation bill. The BJP is believed to be reaching out to parties beyond the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for passage of the ambitious delimitation bill which would be packaged under the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Top sources across parties including NCP-SP, DMK, YSRCP and even the BJP allies as to how they are placed when it comes to the FCRA Bill. One of the regional parties from the south pointed out their concerns over the FCRA bill in its present format. They are worried about the impact the amendment would have on institutions which cater to their core vote bank. We are still in consultation with the government. If they agree for our amendments, we might consider coming on board. Else, we will have to oppose it, the source said.
When asked if they could choose to abstain, the response was, “Abstaining is not a choice for us. We will either vote against it or support it. This issue would impact our core voter base. It touches upon on a sensitive issue related to them.” The Christian and minority voters form the core vote bank of this regional party. They fear the FCRA bill in its present form will trigger outrage amongst its core voters. While they are on-board with the government on the delimitation bill — provided the BJP is ready to give 50% increase in parliament seats — supporting the government on the FCRA seems unlikely.
“The charity money is also being used for our children. There is no reason to suspect everyone, every donor and every institute…There are good institutions who are working in educational sector, running hospitals and other important welfare sectors. By bringing this bill, everyone is being suspected,” the NCP-SP MP said. When asked if the NCP-SP could support the delimitation bill, they asserted there was no way to come to a decision when the government hasn’t even shared a draft copy with lawmakers.
This bill in present form will enable the targeting of minority institutions. It could open the gates for witch-hunt of educational institutions, charitable bodies and NGOs. There are clauses in this bill which would enable the government to attach properties owned by any institutes getting funds under the FCRA under dispute even if they have been bought in the past. You can’t allow that to happen, the DMK leader said.
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