Will PM address Trump's India-Pak ceasefire claims, concerns of Indian H1B holders: Congress

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, the Congress on Sunday took a swipe at him, asking whether he will address US President Donald Trump's India-Pakistan "ceasefire" claims and the concerns of lakhs of Indian H1B visa holders or just repeat what is already known on the new GST rates.

Prime Minister Modi will address the nation at 5 pm on Sunday, his office said. However, the Prime Minister's Office gave no indication of the subject of his address in the evening.

His address will come on the eve of Navratri, the day from when the revised GST rates will kick in, with the prices of a large number of products set to come down.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "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 home in the USA, but also in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UK, Ramesh said.

"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?" the Congress leader said.

In a sudden move that will hugely impact skilled Indian professionals in the US, President Trump has ordered a steep hike in the annual H-1B non-immigrant visa fee to USD 100,000.

The Trump administration, however, has clarified that the new USD 100,000 fee for H-1B visas is a one-time payment applicable only to new petitions and does not apply to current visa holders.

Also, Trump has repeated his claim that he solved the India-Pakistan conflict earlier this year with trade and asserted that he should get the Nobel Peace Prize for "ending seven wars".

Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire after a long night of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim several times that he helped settle the tensions between India and Pakistan.

India has consistently denied any third-party intervention.