Cong: Govt must flag visa concerns with US

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 21

The Congress today said it hoped the upcoming visit of US President Donald Trump results in some tangible gains for India and doesn’t get reduced to merely a transactional trip.

Former minister and Congress deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma reminded the government today to flag to the US President the matter that he had withdrawn generalised system of preference (GSP) status from India; constricted the H1B visa space and also declared India a developed country equating it with China.

“President Trump has declared India a developed country on the eve of his visit which means he has equated it with China for all practical purposes whereas the Chinese GDP is five times that of India so is its per capital annual income,” Sharma said.

He also asked the government to stop being hypocritical about the Trump visit to the Motera stadium in Ahmedabad being organised by some private committee.

Claiming it was ironical that in the 150th anniversary celebration year of Mahatma Gandhi, the government was splurging to welcome the US President, he said, “That I must say militates against the philosophy of Mahatma.”

The Congress leader said the scale of preparations for the Ahmedabad event were beyond the remit and capacity of a private committee and these had the government presence writ large.

“Why are you not being honest?” Sharma asked PM advising him to ensure that the journey of the President in India does not become an extension of his presidential campaign back home to get the votes of the Indian disapora.