Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of undermining India’s global standing, alleging that its policies have led to a decline in the country’s passport rankings, higher passport costs, sluggish recovery in foreign tourist arrivals and inadequate visa services.
In a post on social media platform X, Kharge challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2018 assertion that the Indian passport commanded greater respect abroad, saying the government’s claims were contradicted by current indicators.
“Modi Govt’s policies are responsible for hurting India’s global reputation,” Kharge said.
Referring to the Prime Minister’s earlier remarks, he wrote, “PM Modi claimed in 2018: ‘People travelling and living abroad know the respect and strength of the Indian passport today.’ Where is that ‘strength’ reflected? Facts belie his assertions.”
Backing his criticism with international passport indices, the Congress chief claimed India’s ranking had deteriorated over the years.
“In one global passport ranking, India has fallen from 74th in 2013 to 80th in June 2026,” he said, citing data from the World Economic Forum.
He also claimed that another global passport index had ranked India at “a dismal 125th” in 2026.
Kharge further alleged that the government had increased the financial burden on passport applicants instead of improving services.
“Instead of improving services, the Modi Govt has made passports more expensive. Passport fees have been hiked from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500, while Tatkal charges have gone up to Rs 5,000,” he said.
The Congress president also questioned the government’s handling of the tourism sector, claiming foreign tourist arrivals remained below pre-pandemic levels.
“Even with respect to the ease of travelling to India, Foreign Tourist Arrivals are still below pre-COVID levels. They have dropped from 10.93 million in 2019 to 9.95 million in 2024. Is the Modi Govt masking this failure by clubbing NRI arrivals with foreign tourist data?” he asked.
Kharge also took aim at India’s online visa application system, alleging that it remained outdated despite the country’s technological advancements.
“Why is India’s official visa application portal still so outdated and confusing that it resembles a website from the late 1990s? No one in India, the land of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, wants to welcome tourists like this?” he wrote.
Questioning the government’s narrative on India’s rising global stature, Kharge said, “If the passport is weaker, tourism has not recovered, visa services are lacklustre and citizens are paying more for substandard services, then where exactly is this much-advertised global respect”
“Reality bites. India’s reputation suffers. Courtesy: Modi Govt!” he added.
The BJP had not issued an immediate response to the allegations.
