Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday slammed the Centre after the Trump administration imposed a USD 100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas, warning that the decision will impact some of India’s “brightest minds.”
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gogoi accused him of “strategic silence and loud optics”, calling it a liability for the nation’s interests. In an X post, he wrote: “With the recent decision on H1-B visas, the American government has hit at the future of the best and brightest minds from India. PM Modi’s preference for strategic silence and loud optics has become a liability for the national interest of India and her citizens.”
Congress leader Pawan Khera echoed Rahul Gandhi’s previous remark on a “weak Prime Minister,” stating: “8 years later, @RahulGandhi is vindicated yet again. India is still stuck with a weak Prime Minister.”
Karnataka Congress MLA Priyank Kharge also criticised Modi, calling Trump’s executive order “Modi ji’s friend,” highlighting the impact on Indian tech workers, who account for over 70% of all H-1B visa recipients. He wrote:
“Modi-Dolaand (Donald Trump) friendship is turning out to be very expensive for India. The USD 100,000 fee hits Indian tech workers the hardest.”
The criticism follows the US presidential proclamation titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers”, which introduces a major overhaul to the H-1B visa programme. Effective September 21, the proclamation imposes a steep fee, aimed at curbing systemic misuse of the visa system, but is expected to directly affect Indian professionals in the US technology and IT sectors.
