Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing strong political backlash from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi following public statements by former US President Donald Trump regarding India’s oil imports from Russia. Trump claimed that PM Modi personally assured him that India would stop purchasing Russian oil, a statement that has drawn immediate criticism from Gandhi. The Congress leader accused PM Modi of being ‘frightened’ of Trump and allowing the former US President to announce significant foreign policy decisions on behalf of India.
Gandhi took to social media platform X to voice his strong disapproval, asserting that Modi ‘keeps sending congratulatory messages’ to Trump despite a history of ‘repeated snubs.’ He cited the cancellation of the Finance Minister’s visit to the US and missed international engagements as further evidence of Modi’s alleged deference. Trump’s remarks at the White House press conference were clear: “He (Modi) is a great friend of mine. I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia; that’s a big step.” Gandhi questioned the implications of such an assurance being publicly announced by a former US President, suggesting it undermined India’s sovereign decision-making in energy policy.