Congress attacks Modi as ‘weak PM’ after Donald Trump’s H-1B visa order

In the wake of Washington’s shock move to slap a staggering $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas, the Congress on Saturday, 20 September, unleashed a blistering assault on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, branding him a “weak” leader whose penchant for “strategic silence” and “loud optics” was, they said, eroding India’s standing and harming her people’s interests.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge tore into Modi, contending that the blow is heaviest for Indian workers, who constitute nearly 70 per cent of all H-1B visa holders.

Kharge said Indians were “pained” by the so-called “birthday return gifts” the prime minister had received after his recent birthday call with US President Donald Trump. “Birthday return gifts from your ‘Abki Baar, Trump Sarkar’ government — a crushing $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas. This hits Indian tech workers the hardest,” Kharge said in an X post.

The Congress president’s remarks add to the growing criticism of Modi’s handling of the issue, with Opposition leaders accusing him of maintaining “strategic silence” even as Indian professionals abroad face mounting uncertainty.

Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi sharpened his attack on PM Modi, calling him a “weak PM” in the wake of the US administration’s decision.

“I repeat, India has a weak PM,” Gandhi posted on X referring his 2017 post along the same lines, stressing that Modi’s silence and inaction on issues directly affecting Indian professionals abroad were undermining the country’s national interest.

Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi also took to X, saying the move by Washington strikes at the future of India’s “best and brightest minds”. He recalled how former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had shown resolve when an Indian diplomat was mistreated in the US, contrasting it with Modi’s muted response.

“Now PM Modi’s preference for strategic silence and loud optics has become a liability for the national interest of India and her citizens,” Gogoi said.

Joining the chorus of criticism, Congress media and publicity department chief Pawan Khera declared that Gandhi had foreseen this storm long ago. Khera, too, pointed to the 2017 post in which Gandhi flagged the absence of the H-1B issue in Modi’s talks with Trump, Khera said, “Eight years on, Rahul stands vindicated once more… and India remains shackled to a weak prime minister.”

The criticism came after US President Trump signed a proclamation on Friday raising the H-1B visa fee to $100,000 (Rs 83 lakh approx.) annually, calling an apparent misuse of the programme a “national security threat”. He argued that the scheme, originally designed to bring in highly skilled temporary workers, had been “deliberately exploited” to replace American workers with lower-paid foreign labour.

The move is expected to heavily impact Indian professionals, who account for nearly three-quarters of H-1B visa holders.

With PTI inputs