New Delhi, July 6 -- Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday criticised the central government for India's declining passport ranking and drop in yearly tourist footfall.

He held the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "responsible for hurting India's global reputation". The Congress chief cited the World Economic Forum and Global Citizen Solutions, which show India slipping to 80th and 125th in the global passport index, respectively.

He also slammed the government over the recent hike in passport fee, adding that instead of improving services, the Centre have made passports more expensive.

"Modi Govt's policies are responsible for hurting India's global reputation. PM Modi claimed in 2018: 'People travelling and livin...