After the US imposed a USD 100,000 annual fee for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, the Congress on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of being a \u201cweak PM\u201d whose preference for \u201cstrategic silence\u201d and \u201cloud optics\u201d has become a liability for India.<\/p>\n
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also said that foreign policy is about safeguarding India\u2019s national interests and keeping \u201cIndia First\u201d and not holding \u201cevents\u201d.<\/p>\n
Highlighting reports that H-1B Visa hike would hit Indians hardest, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X, \u201cI repeat, India has a weak PM.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noting that Indian national interests are supreme, Congress chief Kharge took a swipe at the PM, saying, \u201cBear hugs, hollow slogans, concerts and getting people to chant \u2018Modi, Modi\u2019 is not foreign policy!\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cForeign policy is about safeguarding our national interests; keeping India First, and steering friendships with wisdom and balance. It cannot be reduced to superficial bravado that risks undermining our long-term standing,\u201d Kharge said in a post on X.<\/p>\n
The Congress chief said, \u201cNarendra Modi ji, Indians are pained by the return gifts you have received after the birthday call.<\/p>\n
\u201cBirthday Return Gifts from your \u2018Abki Baar, Trump Sarkar\u2019 Government! \u2014 USD 100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas hits Indian tech workers the hardest, 70 per cent of H-1B visa holders are Indians and 50 per cent tariff already imposed, a loss of Rs 2.17 Lakh crore to India is already estimated in 10 sectors alone,\u201d Kharge said.<\/p>\n
He also cited the HIRE Act, which he claimed was targeting Indian outsourcing. He also called the lifting of exemption to the Chabahar port a \u201closs to our strategic interests\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven a call for the EU to impose a 100 per cent tariff on Indian goods!<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Trump again recently claims (for the umpteenth time!) that his intervention stopped the India-Pak war,\u201d Kharge said.<\/p>\n
In a post on X, Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said, \u201cWith the recent decision on H1-B visas the American government has hit at the future of the best and brightest minds from India.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still remember the boldness of former PM Manmohan Singh when one IFS lady diplomat was insulted in the US.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gogoi alleged, \u201cNow PM Modi\u2019s preference for strategic-silence and loud-optics has become a liability for the national interest of India and her citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
Congress leader Pawan Khera posted on X, \u201c8 years later, Rahul Gandhi is vindicated yet again.\u201d He also tagged a post of Gandhi in 2017 with media reports that the H-1B visa issue did not figure in the talks between US President Donald Trump and PM Modi.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe called it out back in 2017 and nothing has changed. India is still stuck with a weak Prime Minister,\u201d Khera said while attacking the prime minister.<\/p>\n
US President Trump on Friday signed a proclamation that will raise the fee for H1-B visas to a staggering USD 100,000 annually, the latest in the administration\u2019s efforts to crack down on immigration.<\/p>\n
Trump also said abuse of the H-1B programme is a national security threat as he signed the proclamation restricting entry of certain non-immigrant workers.<\/p>\n
The H-1B non-immigrant visa programme was created to bring temporary workers into the US to perform additive, high-skilled functions, but it has been deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labour, Trump said in the proclamation. (Agencies)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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