AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP has severely criticised the foreign policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the hike in the fee of H-1B visa to $100,000 annually by the US under the Trump government, saying that it was a failure of the current government.
Owaisi is one of the key politicians to speak on the thorny issue from this part of the country, particularly because a large chunk of the visa seekers hail from the two Telugu states, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Nasscom has admitted that this will severely impact Indian tech firms. Ever since reports about Trump signing the proclamation broke, the issue has dominated discussions on WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms. Telangana’s industry and IT minister has demanded diplomatic intervention to resolve the issue.
Owaisi blamed the current dispensation, saying that India has sacrificed its long-term gains for domestic posturing. According to him, Telangana and AP dominate the H-1B ecosystem. The H-1B visa holders also contribute significantly to India’s $125 billion remittance inflow. AP and Telangana account for 37 per cent of Indian NRI deposits. He went on to question the government for holding events like ‘Howdy Modi’ and ‘Namaste Trump’. “That the US is putting its relationship with India at risk is proof that it does not care about our strategic value. We are a strategic partner of the US and if they don’t see us as allies, then it is a failure of this government,” said Owaisi.
He claimed that India was increasingly being isolated. “The enormous tariffs, the Pakistan-US trade agreement, the Pakistan-Saudi agreement (could not have happened without the US’s blessings) and overall, India’s vulnerable position in the world. We are in a hostile neighbourhood and increasingly isolated on the global stage,” said Owaisi. He pointed out that India has entered into de-dollarisation agreements with over 18 countries and trade payments settlements are being done through rupees.
“We must expand this to trade with all major trading partners. We must not cede an inch to Trump’s blackmail,” said the MP. He then questioned the government, saying, “This is not an opportunity for me to score some brownie points. But the government must introspect as to why India is facing such difficulties in foreign policy and national security. Is it because you have reduced these issues to gimmicks? After all, it’s not Modi who suffers but common Indians.”
Telangana IT and industries minister D Sridhar Babu questioned why the Indian government was silent on the issue, pointing out that without timely diplomatic action, India will face serious losses. The Government of India should engage with the US on this issue. He said the move would harm Telangana and other Southern states and demanded temporary relief to H-1B visa holders.