Congress dares PM Modi to respond to Trump’s ‘India-Pak ceasefire’ claim, H-1B visa shock in address to nation

The Prime Minister’s Office gave no hint on the subject of Modi’s evening address.

On the eve of Navratri, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the nation at 5 pm on Sunday. But hours before his speech, the Congress took a sharp swipe, demanding whether Modi would confront US President Donald Trump’s controversial claims on India-Pakistan and speak on the H-1B visa crisis, or stick to the familiar script of GST rate cuts.

Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh said on X that Trump had once again 'stolen Modi’s thunder' by repeating, for the 42nd time, that he halted India’s Operation Sindoor using trade leverage. “Will the PM address these claims? Will he speak on fraught Indo-US ties and the concerns of lakhs of Indian H-1B holders? Or will he just repeat what we already know on GST?” Ramesh asked.

प्रधानमंत्री राष्ट्र को संबोधित करने की तैयारी कर रहे हैं, वहीं वाशिंगटन डीसी में उनके अच्छे दोस्त ने एक बार फिर उनकी सुर्खियाँ छीन ली हैं और 42वीं बार दावा किया है कि उन्होंने अमेरिका के साथ बढ़ते व्यापार का फायदा उठाकर ऑपरेशन सिंदूर को रोक दिया। राष्ट्रपति ट्रंप यह दावा केवल…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 21, 2025

The Prime Minister’s Office gave no hint on the subject of Modi’s evening address. The timing, however, is significant: revised GST rates take effect Monday, lowering prices for a wide range of goods. But Trump’s H-1B bombshell and ceasefire boasts have shifted the spotlight away from tax relief.

For lakhs of Indian professionals in the US, Trump’s move to impose a one-time $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions has triggered anxiety. While existing visa holders are exempt, the steep cost threatens to shut out new applicants and squeeze Indian IT companies.

Trump, meanwhile, has been repeatedly crediting himself with stopping wars across Asia and Africa. At a dinner in Washington, he rattled off conflicts he said were resolved 'because of trade,' from India-Pakistan and Thailand-Cambodia to Armenia-Azerbaijan and Israel-Iran.

Specifically on India and Pakistan, Trump said:

“Like with India, I said, look, we’re not going to do any trade if you’re going to fight and they have nuclear weapons. They stopped.”

He added that 60 percent of the wars he 'stopped' were ended by using America’s trade leverage.

India has consistently rejected Trump’s narrative of mediation. Officials maintain that the May 10 ceasefire understanding with Pakistan was reached directly between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs).

The backdrop: after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack killed 26 civilians, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Four days of drone and missile exchanges followed before both sides agreed to halt hostilities.

Trump has since claimed the episode as proof of his statesmanship, even floating that he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for 'ending seven wars.'