Mallikarjun Kharge Targets Passport Fees and Tourism Metrics

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched a sharp critique of the central government on Monday, linking India’s plummeting global passport rankings and stagnant tourism to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration. He specifically challenged the recent hike in passport fees as an unjust burden that fails to improve service quality for citizens.

Editorial·July 6, 2026·reads: 827

Mallikarjun Kharge Targets Passport Fees and Tourism Metrics

Kharge pointed to data from the World Economic Forum and Global Citizen Solutions, which place India at 80th and 125th in global passport indices. Beyond the rankings, he accused officials of inflating tourism figures by consolidating Non-Resident Indian arrivals with foreign tourist data, effectively masking broader failures in the sector.

The Congress leader contrasted the government's rhetoric with the reality of the country's visa portal, describing the digital infrastructure as outdated and inherently unfriendly to international visitors. By questioning the alignment between the 'Atithi Devo Bhava' cultural ethos and current bureaucratic hurdles, Kharge argued that these policy shifts are actively damaging India’s global standing.