By DC Correspondent

Copyright deccanchronicle

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi expressed strong concerns over the changes in the US H-1B visa policy, which he said effectively marked the end of the system that had benefited millions of Indians, especially those from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. “The average annual salary for Indian H-1B holders is around $1,20,000, mainly in the tech industry. These earnings significantly contribute to India’s foreign exchange via remittances,” Owaisi said in a post on his X handle and warned that this policy change shuts a major door for intergenerational mobility among Indian professionals. Acknowledging that US President Donald Trump had executed what he intended, Owaisi aimed his criticism at the Centre. He questioned the achievements of high-profile events like “Howdy Modi” and “Namaste Trump,” arguing that simply gathering NRIs at venues like Madison Square Garden did not translate into effective foreign policy. He stated that the ending of H-1B visas seems targeted against Indians and reflects a failure of the current government to protect India’s strategic interests. Owaisi cited other recent challenges in India-US relations, such as US tariffs on Indian goods and trade agreements involving Pakistan, pointing to India’s vulnerable global position and hostile neighbourhood. He urged India to expand its dedollarization efforts with over 18 countries, including Qatar and ASEAN nations, to reduce dependency. Owaisi lamented that national security and foreign policy had been reduced to political gimmicks, resulting in a lost decade from 2014 to 2024, which hurts ordinary Indians the most.