Hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to address the nation on Sunday, the Congress party took a sharp dig at him, questioning whether he would speak on issues flagged by United States President Donald Trump and the plight of Indian H-1B visa holders, or limit himself to reiterating details of revised GST rates.
The Prime Minister is set to speak at 5 pm, according to his office. The subject of his address has not been disclosed. The timing coincides with the eve of Navratri, when the new GST rates come into effect, lowering the prices of several goods.
Congress Raises Questions on US Ties
In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh remarked, “As the PM prepares to address the nation, his good friend in Washington DC has once again stolen his thunder and claimed – for the 42nd time – that he stopped Operation Sindoor by using increased trade with America as leverage.”
Ramesh noted that Trump has repeated these assertions not just domestically but also during visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UK. “Will the PM address these claims and speak of the increasingly fraught Indo-US relationship? Will he address the concerns of lakhs of Indian H1B holders? Will he provide some assurances to the crores of farmers and workers who stand to lose their livelihood due to his good friend’s tariffs? Or will he just repeat what we all know on the new GST rates – worked out under desperation and which become effective tomorrow?” he asked.
As the PM prepares to address the nation, his good friend in Washington DC has once again stolen his thunder and claimed – for the 42nd time – that he stopped Operation Sindoor by using increased trade with America as leverage. President Trump has made these claims not only at…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 21, 2025
Trump’s Fresh H-1B Visa Fee Hike
In a move with major implications for skilled Indian workers in the United States, President Trump has ordered a sharp hike in the annual H-1B non-immigrant visa fee to USD 100,000. The Trump administration has clarified that this one-time payment will apply only to new applications and will not affect current visa holders.
Trump’s India-Pakistan Ceasefire Claims
Trump has also reiterated that he helped end hostilities between India and Pakistan earlier this year through trade leverage, claiming he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for halting multiple conflicts. “On the world stage, we are once again doing things that we are just respected at a level that we have never been respected before. We are forging peace agreements, and we are stopping wars. So we stopped wars between India and Pakistan, Thailand and Cambodia,” Trump said during the American Cornerstone Institute Founder’s Dinner on Saturday.
Referring specifically to India and Pakistan, he added, “Think of India and Pakistan. Think of that. And you know how I stopped that – with trade. They want to trade. And I have great respect for both leaders. But when you take a look at all of these wars that we’ve stopped. Just look at that. India, Pakistan, Thailand, Cambodia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kosovo and Serbia, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Rwanda and the Congo. We stopped all of them. And 60 per cent of them were stopped because of trade.”
He claimed that in India’s case, he had warned, “look, we’re not going to do any trade if you’re going to fight and they have nuclear weapons. They stopped.”
India’s Stand on Operation Sindoor
India launched Operation Sindoor on 7 May, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the 22 April Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. Both sides reached an understanding on 10 May to cease hostilities after four days of cross-border strikes.
However, New Delhi has consistently maintained that the cessation of hostilities followed direct discussions between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan, rejecting any notion of third-party mediation.
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