The Rajya Sabha MP urged the Prime Minister to convene an all-party meeting
July 19, 2026: Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the Centre’s proposed legislation on delimitation and amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). In his letter, O’Brien claimed the proposed measures could have significant constitutional and political consequences and expressed concern over what he described as the government’s past handling of key legislation. He alleged that the Centre had previously introduced important Bills without adequate notice and urged it not to adopt similar tactics on the issue of delimitation.
Referring to earlier legislative developments, O’Brien cited the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, and claimed it had been introduced before the supplementary list of business was circulated to Members of Parliament. He also referred to the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill and the Delimitation Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha earlier this year, noting that they failed to secure the required two-thirds majority. On the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, he argued that the legislation could adversely affect educational institutions, charitable organisations and NGOs working among marginalised communities by increasing executive control over their functioning.
The TMC leader urged the government to hold wider consultations before proceeding with the proposed legislation, drawing parallels with the farm laws that were later repealed. The issue of delimitation has become a major political flashpoint, particularly among several southern states, which fear a fresh exercise based on post-2026 Census figures could reduce their representation in Parliament despite success in population control. While opposition parties have voiced concerns over the proposed FCRA amendments, the Centre has maintained that no final decision has been taken on delimitation and that the FCRA changes are intended to improve transparency and accountability in the use of foreign contributions. TMC sources also indicated that the party would seek to have the FCRA Amendment Bill referred to a parliamentary committee for detailed scrutiny.