Congress attacks Modi as 'weak PM' over Trump's H-1B visa order
New Delhi (PTI): 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 "weak PM" whose preference for "strategic silence" and "loud optics" has become a liability for India.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also said that foreign policy is about safeguarding India's national interests and keeping "India First" and not holding "events".
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, "I repeat, India has a weak PM."
Noting that Indian national interests are supreme, Congress chief Kharge took a swipe at the PM, saying, "Bear hugs, hollow slogans, concerts and getting people to chant 'Modi, Modi' is not foreign policy!".
"Foreign 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," Kharge said in a post on X.
The Congress chief said, "Narendra Modi ji, Indians are pained by the return gifts you have received after the birthday call.
"Birthday Return Gifts from your 'Abki Baar, Trump Sarkar' Government! -- 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," Kharge said.
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 "loss to our strategic interests".
"Even a call for the EU to impose a 100 per cent tariff on Indian goods!
"Mr. Trump again recently claims (for the umpteenth time!) that his intervention stopped the India-Pak war," Kharge said.
In a post on X, Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said, "With the recent decision on H1-B visas the American government has hit at the future of the best and brightest minds from India.
"I still remember the boldness of former PM Manmohan Singh when one IFS lady diplomat was insulted in the US."
Gogoi alleged, "Now 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 posted on X, "8 years later, Rahul Gandhi is vindicated yet again." 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.
"He called it out back in 2017 and nothing has changed. India is still stuck with a weak Prime Minister," Khera said while attacking the prime minister.
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's efforts to crack down on immigration.
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.
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.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
