What Rahul Gandhi said after Trump's decision to hike H-1B visa fees
The Trump administration said on Friday it would ask companies to pay $1,00,000 or about Rs 88 lakh per year for H-1B worker visas, potentially dealing a big blow to the technology sector that relies heavily on skilled workers from India and China.
In 2024, Indians made up 71 per cent of the 3,99,395 recipients of H-1B visas, with China a distant second at 11.7 per cent. India has consistently held the largest share of H-1B visa holders over the years.
The move could add millions of dollars in costs for companies, which could hit smaller tech firms and start-ups particularly hard.
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, wrote on Twitter, "I repeat, India's Prime Minister is weak."
Meanwhile, Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, said that Prime Minister Modi's strategic silence and pretense have become a burden to the national interest of India and its citizens.
In a post on Twitter, he wrote, "With the recent decision on H-1B visas, the US government has harmed the future of India's most promising and talented people."
"I still remember the time when a female IFS officer diplomat was insulted in the US, and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took a bold step."
This decision will harm the US economy more than India: BJP
The BJP, on the other hand, said that this decision by the Trump administration will harm the US economy more than India.
BJP leader Boora Narsaiah Goud told media, "Trump and his move will destroy the US economy more than the Indian economy."
US President Donald Trump has signed an order increasing the application fee for H-1B visas to $1,00,000 annually, or approximately Rs 88 lakh.