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India’s Modi Faces Scrutiny Over UPI Charges Amid US Visa Crackdown
WHY IT MATTERS
The policy shift could reshape India‑U.S. trade relations and influence the future of visa agreements between the two nations.
What happened
In a developing diplomatic row, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under intense scrutiny following a recent suspension of the PERM visa program. Congress leaders have stated that Modi will not retaliate against a U. S. visa crackdown, while opposition figure Jairam Ramesh has accused the Modi government of deliberately imposing UPI merchant discount rate (MDR) charges to curry favor with former U.
S. President Donald Trump. Ramesh argues that the new charges are designed to benefit American companies operating in India.
The move has drawn criticism from opposition parties, who see it as a political maneuver to secure U. S. goodwill amid growing tensions over visa policies and trade practices.
PRIMARY SOURCES
PM under 'GyaneshGate' siege, will not retaliate to U.S. visa crackdown: Congress
The Hindu · Discovery only; publisher copyright and subscription terms apply
CORRECTIONS & UPDATES
- Revision 1 · Initial ingestion · Oct 9, 2026, 5:45 AM
- Revision 2 · Source update detected · Oct 9, 2026, 5:45 AM