Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi revived an old 2017 tweet, declaring “India has a weak PM,” following the US decision, which is expected to hit Indian tech professionals hardest. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge lambasted the government, saying “Indians are pained by the return gifts you have received after the birthday call,” referring to US President Donald Trump’s recent conversation with Mr Modi. Kharge listed what he described as the “gifts” from the US government: the $100,000 visa fee, 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods, the HIRE Act targeting Indian outsourcing, revoking the waiver for Chabahar port, and mobilising the EU to impose full tariffs on Indian exports.
The US visa fee hike forms part of a proclamation by President Trump under a broader strategy to tighten immigration norms, ostensibly to curb perceived abuses of the program and shift priority toward American workers. The new fee applies to new visa petitions; existing H-1B holders and visa renewals are reportedly not affected. Indian nationals account for over 70 percent of H-1B visa approvals.
The tariff measures Kharge cited include Washington’s imposition of 50 percent duties on many labour-intensive goods from India, which analysts estimate have cost Indian exporters tens of thousands of crores, especially in sectors like textiles, engineering and pharmaceuticals. The lifting of the sanctions waiver for Chabahar port under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act will expose those involved in port operations or associated infrastructure to possible penalties from the US after 29 September.
Other opposition figures echoed Kharge and Gandhi. Pawan Khera noted that Rahul Gandhi had warned of similar crises in 2017, saying India is “still stuck with a weak Prime Minister.” Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi compared Modi unfavourably with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, recalling the latter’s firm diplomatic responses in earlier confrontations. Akhilesh Yadav criticised what he called the government’s “weak foreign policy,” arguing that India is becoming overly dependent and unable to protect its interests abroad.