US travel advisory for India shows PM Modi's foreign policy has ‘fallen flat', says Congress

The Print

9 hours ago

Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi, Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the advisory comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has been 'hyphenating' India and Pakistan in his public statements. Such 'damning' advisories have the potential to impact tourism and the associated economy in the country, she said.
The party took a swipe at the government, saying it should not have happened given Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent a 'disproportionate amount of time pursuing foreign powers' over the last decade.
New Delhi: The Congress Tuesday questioned the Centre's silence on the travel advisory issued by the United States urging its citizens to exercise increased caution in India due to 'growing crimes' and terrorism.
'We are being issued a travel advisory, and the general from Pakistan is enjoying the meal of President Trump, who goes on to hyphenate India and Pakistan. Look at where we are in the world, and look at where Pakistan is,' Shrinate said. 'I take huge offence to our prime minister's name being mentioned and hyphenated with Asim Munir, who is a terrorist cloaked in army uniform.'
Shrinate alleged that India's foreign policy has 'fallen flat' at a time when the country needs the support of allies.
'The reality is that in the last 11 years, Mr Modi has pledged a disproportionate amount of time pursuing foreign powers. From forcible hugs to 'Howdy Modi,' 'Namaste Trump' and 'Ab Ki Baar Trump Sarkar,' to going to the US uninvited, he's done everything possible. And look at what America is doing to us at a time when we need big, large nations of the world to stand with us,' she said.
The chairperson of the Congress's social media and digital platforms wing, Shrinate claimed that the US has issued no such advisory for Pakistan, which makes India look particularly bad. However, US state department records show that while Washington's travel advisory for India is graded 'Level 2,' Pakistan's advisory is graded 'Level 3.'
'Reconsider travel to Pakistan due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict,' says the US advisory for Pakistan, reissued after a review on 7 March 2025.
On the other hand, the state department advisory for India has remained at 'Level 2' for a long time. In updates made on 18 June, US citizens were warned that 'violent crime and terrorism occur in India', adding that 'rape is one of the fastest growing crimes' in the country.
'Violent crimes, including sexual assault, happen at tourist sites and other locations. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning. They target tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, government facilities,' it reads, while also flagging, among other things, the threat posed by Maoists in parts of the country.
Shrinate further said, 'A tribal advisory is very damning. It impacts the number of tourists who will come to India. It impacts the funds that will come. It impacts the level of investment that will come to this country. It impacts the income of people who are associated with those sectors, and yet the Modi government is absolutely quiet.'
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
Also Read: US updates travel advisory for India citing violent crimes, potential terror attacks