The Congress party has sharply criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the Trump administration’s stringent measures on the H-1B visa program. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi described Modi as a “weak Prime Minister” in response to the U.S. increasing the H-1B visa fee to $100,000. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi stated, “I repeat, India has a weak Prime Minister,” alleging that Modi had also failed to address the H-1B issue during discussions with Trump in 2017.
Congress argues that the Modi government is unable to make decisive foreign policy moves, with leaders Pawan Khera and Manish Tiwari asserting that diplomacy is about protecting national interests, not merely holding meetings or talks. Tiwari claimed that while the Trump administration is strategically targeting India, the Indian government has remained silent.
I repeat, India has a weak PM. https://t.co/N0EuIxQ1XG pic.twitter.com/AEu6QzPfYH
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 20, 2025
Pawan Khera added that Rahul Gandhi had warned in 2017 about similar challenges, but the Modi government ignored these cautions. Congress leaders maintain that this is not a new issue and that India’s foreign relations have weakened under Modi’s leadership.
The party also expressed concern over the future impact of stricter H-1B visa rules, warning that Indian IT professionals and students could face severe setbacks. Congress contends that while the U.S. implements these policies, the Indian government has failed to safeguard the interests of its citizens.