New Delhi, May 15 -- Hyderabad's Chilkur Balaji Temple, popularly known as the "Visa Temple", unexpectedly became the centre of an online rant of US Senator Eric Schmitt, who was criticising the US H-1B visa programme.

The Republican senator from Missouri was attacking the US employment-based visa system in a series of posts on X, alleging it suppresses local wages and creates a global "Visa Cartel" that displaces American workers.

Referring to Chilkur Balaji Temple, Schmitt claimed that there is a "Visa Temple" for the "Visa Cartel" to pray at to get their US visa.

"The 'Visa Cartel' has its own 'Visa Temple' in Hyderabad, which sees thousands of Indians circling altars and getting passports blessed for U.S. work visas," he wrote. "Am...