Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took a sharp dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming he appeared "frightened" of US President Donald Trump after the Republican leader said PM Modi "assured him that India would stop buying oil from Russia".
Trump, speaking at the White House, said he had raised concerns with PM Modi about India's imports of Russian crude, which the US says funds President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
"He (PM Narendra Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That's a big step," Trump said, adding that China should follow India's lead.He also called PM Modi "a friend of mine" and a close partner despite friction over energy policy, noting, "We have a great relationship," when asked if he saw India as a reliable partner amid tensions with China.
However, New Delhi has not confirmed Trump's claim that India will halt Russian oil imports. Trump said securing Modi's assurance was part of his diplomatic push to cut off Moscow's energy revenue.
"Now we've got to get China to do the same thing," he added, describing pressuring Beijing as "relatively easy compared to what we just did over the last week in the Middle East".
The US President said India's shift away from Russian oil would take time, but he believed the transition was already underway. "He's not buying his oil from Russia. He can't do it immediately. It's a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over soon," Trump said, adding that once India stops Russian oil imports, normal trade ties could resume.
Rahul Gandhi, however, criticised Modi for repeatedly allowing Trump to dictate terms, sending congratulatory messages on the Gaza deal between Hamas and Israel despite snubs, cancelling the Finance Minister's visit to the US, and not contradicting Trump on Operation Sindoor.
Gandhi's remarks also reignited his earlier criticism that PM Modi did not refute Trump's repeated claims of brokering the India-Pakistan ceasefire in May. The government, however, has consistently maintained the ceasefire was achieved after contact between Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) and India, without third-party mediation.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh added to the criticism, noting that at 5.37 pm on May 10, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the first to announce that India had halted Operation Sindoor.
He said Trump subsequently claimed 51 times in five different countries that he had intervened to stop the operation using tariffs and trade as leverage, yet PM Modi remained silent.
"Now President Trump has declared yesterday that Mr. Modi has assured him that India will not import oil from Russia. Mr. Modi appears to have outsourced key decisions to America. The 56-inch chest has shrunk and shrivelled," Jairam Ramesh said.
India has defended its Russian oil purchases, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserting, "We make decisions that are in national interest," and dismissing US criticism as unfair.
Meanwhile, India's purchase of Russian oil has been a contentious issue between New Delhi and Washington, especially since August when Trump announced an additional 25 per cent import duty on Indian goods, taking the total import duty to 50 per cent.