Akhilesh Yadav puts BJP in dock over NGO funding bill, raises questions on transparency

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP over the proposed 'Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill 2026', questioning the government's intent and seeking clarification on several financial and transparency-related issues.

In a post shared on his WhatsApp channel, Yadav alleged that the bill, which is being introduced in the name of regulating foreign funding to NGOs, reflects a "non-democratic, over-controlling, and monopolistic mindset". He claimed that the government's objective is to impose unnecessary restrictions on non-governmental organizations and "turn them into puppets" while gradually trying to seize their assets.

Raising specific questions, Yadav asked whether the money received from abroad in the PM CARES Fund would be returned or "absorbed under the guise of special exemptions like audit". He also targeted the issue of electoral bonds, asking, "When will the BJP return the money it received through electoral bonds? If electoral bonds have already been declared illegal, how can the money received through them still be considered legitimate?"

The Samajwadi Party leader also questioned the funds received by unregistered organizations and asked if this move indicates an internal conflict over sources of foreign funding. He alleged that BJP-affiliated organizations have misused funds collected in the name of temple construction, demanding accountability for the donations. "Recovery should be made from all those associated with them," he said.

Yadav argued that the government is trying to stop the work of independent NGOs that perform better than government agencies in many cases. "The BJP government itself does little work and does not want genuine, independent NGOs to work effectively," he said, adding that such organizations often expose government shortcomings.

He also accused the ruling party of selectively targeting legal foreign income and ignoring alleged illegal outflows of wealth. Questioning the government's stance, he said it should explain why "stringent restrictions are being imposed on money coming from abroad legally, while huge amounts of money sent abroad illegally are being ignored".

In his strongly worded post, Yadav accused the BJP of bias and lack of integrity in policymaking, saying, "The BJP's malice and dishonesty are the basis of every bill they introduce," and added that the public will "shut down the BJP's ATM of nepotism".

The proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act are expected to reignite debate over NGO funding rules in India. The law oversees how organizations receive and use foreign donations, and has been a subject of political and social debate, with critics often raising concerns about restrictions on independent institutions, while the government argues that strict laws are necessary to ensure transparency and accountability in activities funded by foreign funds.