"Go Back To India": Amid H-1B Visa Row, Vivek Ramaswamy's Anniversary Post For Wife Met With Racist Remarks

NDTV

5 days ago

Indian-origin entrepreneur and Republican politician Vivek Ramaswamy recently shared a heartfelt post for his wife, Apoorva, on their 10th wedding anniversary. However, amid growing tensions around the H-1B visa program in the US, the celebratory post was met with a series of racist and anti-immigrant comments from X users. In his post, Mr Ramaswamy shared the story of his first date with his wife, Apoorva. Sharing two photos - one taken during the couple's first date and the other during their recent outing, he mentioned that he met his wife, a smart medical student, in 2011. He asked her out on a first date, and then they headed for a weekend and hiked Flattop Mountain in the Rockies.
"We got within striking distance of the summit when a blizzard hit. I was foolishly stubborn about still making it, when she grabbed my hand, looked me in the eye, & said we had a lifetime ahead to come back and finish it. 14 years & two kids later, we finally made it back to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary this weekend. Grateful for the love of my life & every day of our journey together," Mr Ramaswamy wrote.
In the fall of 2011, I met a brilliant medical student named Apoorva & asked her out on a first date - to head west for a weekend & hike Flattop Mountain in the Rockies. She accepted. We got within striking distance of the summit when a blizzard hit. I was foolishly stubborn… pic.twitter.com/pdV1joMUeg
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) May 26, 2025
The post quickly sparked racist backlash online, with many users asking the couple to "go back to India".
"We would rather you go back to India and explore the hiking trails there please," commented one user. "Don't you have mountains in your home country?" wrote another.
"You should be deported," said a third user. "Why do you both look 3-4 shades lighter? You didn't bleach your skin, did you?" asked another.
The backlash and discriminatory comments highlight Mr Ramaswamy's ongoing entanglement in the H-1B visa row. Even though he has publicly criticised the H-1B visa program, critics online have accused him of favouring the very system because of his Indian identity.
Notably, there has been an intense debate over the H-1B visa and its job market impact on American citizens ever since Donald Trump was re-elected as the US President. While the hard right argues that the H-1B visa holders "take away American jobs" and are a "threat to Western civilisation", Mr Trump and his top officials have backed the H-1B programme saying "America needs talented people" so that world's top talent lives and works in the US and help the country stay ahead of the global curve on technology, research and health care.