New Delhi: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, on Sunday, asked the Congress to avoid politics over matters of national interests and stop criticising the government in the backdrop of the US administration’s decisions to impose tariffs on India and make H-1B visa rules stringent.
Without naming Mallikarjun Kharge in a social media message on X, Union Minister Rijiju reminded the Congress President that “when it comes to national interests, we all must speak for India”.
The Union Minister’s remark came close to former diplomat Kanwal Sibal disapproving of Kharge’s recent criticism of the Indian government over the US President Donald Trump’s decision to revise guidelines, including a massive fee hike, for the H1-B visa, used by a large number of Indian techies to work in the US.
Union Minister Rijiju said in a post on X, “Kanwal Sibal is highly intellectual, thoroughly sober and an erudite diplomat known for his sharp and highly pertinent views. I can understand his pain, which forced him to give this perfect piece of advice to Congress President. We have enough time and space to do politics but when it comes to national interests, we all must speak for India.”
Earlier, Sibal said in a social media message, “Blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Trump’s antagonistic steps against India rather than closing ranks against foreign bullying only weakens our resistance. Trump is being obnoxious to everyone, including his allies. See the way he has humiliated Europe, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Mexico etc. He thought he could get his way with India. Our resistance in pursuit of our national interest has rattled his bloated ego and unleashed his bullying nature.”
“Is the Opposition against India refusing to be dictated on our foreign policy choices by the US? We have, unlike Pakistan, not done business deals involving his family and close associates to earn Trump’s goodwill, which, in any case, cannot be relied upon. Why try to exploit a serious external challenge for domestic politicking? A lot has been achieved in the last many years in our ties with the US,” he added.
Kharge earlier criticised the Narendra Modi government and the tariff deadlock with the US, accusing it of failure in safeguarding national interests.
Referring to the H1-B visa crackdown, the Congress President said Indians are pained by the “gifts” that PM Modi received after President Trump called him on his birthday last week.
Amid the US tariff impasse and revision of the H1-B visa rules, the Indian government has pointed to the possible “humanitarian consequences” of the changes in visa rules.
“The government hopes that these disruptions can be addressed suitably by the US authorities,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.
(IANS)
