Bengaluru, April 25: The Congress party on Wednesday slammed the Narendra Modi government for compromising Indias position as "tech giant", saying it "failed" Indian immigrants as the US clamped down on various visa categories.

The party also slammed the Prime Minister for staying "silent" on the issue.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "PM Modi and BJP must answer to India's, especially Karnataka's IT industry, IT professionals and the young, the reason for bartering India's interests and compromising India's position as tech giant."

Noting Bengaluru emerged as the 'IT hub' of the world and Karnataka tops India as the top state in 'Software and Services Exports', generating $40 billion revenue," he said: "India's growth story on the world stage as a tech power is under a cloud as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP government flounders and fails India's young, standing as a mute spectator to the clamp down by the United States on H4, H1-B and L1 Visas for Indians."

"Hugplomacy, trumpeting rhetoric and beating drums, while staying mum is the only delivery by PM Modi in the last year," he said.

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Balrampur/Chhattisgarh (PTI): Enthusiastic voters reached polling booths trekking steep hilly paths, crossing a river and even on a horse to cast their votes in remote areas of the tribal-dominated Balrampur district in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, officials said.

Balrampur district falls under the Surguja Lok Sabha constituency which was among seven seats where polling was held in third and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state. The Surguja Lok Sabha recorded 74.59 per cent voting, as per the Turnout application.

Voters, belonging to Pahadi Korva, a particularly vulnerable tribal group, including Rajesh, Madan, Sukhu, Gopal and Nandlal, crossed a river to exercise their franchise at a polling booth in village panchayat Amera under the Samri assembly constituency, a government official said.

Similarly, electors, including Lakhan Nagesia, Sahu, Phulsai and Kalesh of Bachwar village under the Ramanujganj assembly constituency walked through hilly terrain for about two hours covering 8 kms to reach a polling booth and cast their vote, he said. A voter, Parimal Dey, reached a polling booth in Sagarpur village under the Ramanujganj assembly seat on a horse, the official said. Dey is a cattle rearer who owns 150 goats.

Two hyper sensitive polling booths -- Chunchuna and Pundag -- located in a Naxal-affected area of the district which shares border with Jharkhand, also recorded significant turnout, he said. The two booths are located in the Samri assembly constituency.

"Special security arrangements were put in place in this area to ensure peaceful voting. Voters of Chunchuna and Pudang ensured their participation in the great festival of democracy braving Naxalite threat," he said. The Chunchuna polling booth has 767 voters and it recorded 84.35 per cent turnout, while Pundag has 595 electors and it registered a turnout of 72.44 per cent till 5 pm, the official added.