New Delhi: After the US announced a steep USD 100,000 annual fee for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, the Congress on Saturday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “weak PM” whose reliance on “strategic silence” and “loud optics” has become a liability for India.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge emphasized that foreign policy should prioritize safeguarding India’s national interests and putting “India First,” rather than organizing high-profile events.
Highlighting reports that the H-1B visa hike would impact Indians the most, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi wrote on X, “I repeat, India has a weak PM.”
Kharge took a swipe at the PM, stating, “Bear hugs, hollow slogans, concerts, and getting people to chant ‘Modi, Modi’ is not foreign policy. Foreign policy is about protecting our national interests, fostering friendships with wisdom and balance, not superficial bravado that risks our long-term standing.”
Referring to the H-1B fee hike as a “return gift” from the US, Kharge said, “Birthday return gifts from your ‘Abki Baar, Trump Sarkar’ government! A USD 100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas hits Indian tech workers hardest—70% of H-1B visa holders are Indians. With 50% tariff already imposed, the estimated loss to India across just 10 sectors is Rs 2.17 lakh crore.”
Kharge also cited the HIRE Act, which he claimed targets Indian outsourcing, and criticized the removal of exemptions for Chabahar port as a “loss to our strategic interests.” He further highlighted US calls for the EU to impose 100% tariffs on Indian goods and quoted Trump’s repeated claims that his intervention prevented an India-Pakistan war.
Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said on X, “With the recent H-1B visa decision, the US has struck at the future of India’s brightest minds. I recall the boldness of former PM Manmohan Singh when an IFS diplomat was insulted in the US. Now, PM Modi’s preference for strategic silence and loud optics has become a liability for India and its citizens.”
Congress leader Pawan Khera added on X, “Eight years later, Rahul Gandhi is vindicated yet again,” sharing a 2017 post by Gandhi highlighting that the H-1B visa issue was not discussed between US President Trump and PM Modi. “Nothing has changed—India is still stuck with a weak Prime Minister,” Khera said.
The move comes after US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation raising the H-1B visa fee to USD 100,000 annually, part of his administration’s broader crackdown on immigration. Trump described abuse of the H-1B programme as a national security threat, arguing it has been exploited to replace American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labor instead of supplementing them.
