Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday took a dig at the center and said that decisions taken by the Indian government are being announced by US President Donald Trump.
Ramesh’s remarks came hours after President Trump said he had been assured by Prime Minister Modi that Delhi would stop buying Russian oil, months after the US imposed punitive tariffs on India over those imports.
Read also | ‘Fear of Trump’: Rahul Gandhi takes aim at PM Modi again
“Decisions taken by the Government of India are announced by President Trump in Washington DC. Yahan se tareef, wahan se cla,” Ramesh, principal secretary in charge of communications in Congress, told ANI.
Ramesh asked further Prime Minister Narendra Modi reveal to Parliament the details of the trade deal with the US and why it has not yet been concluded.
“The prime minister should say what is the truth behind buying oil from Russia? Why has there not been a trade deal with the US yet? He should take Parliament into confidence, create a consensus and say it. Our foreign policy has completely failed,” Ramesh said.
The Rajya Sabha MP further questioned Prime Minister Modi’s silence on many of Trump’s claims, including stopping the India-Pakistan war by issuing “trade threats” and his claim that India would not buy oil from Russia.
“President Trump has claimed 51 times that he is responsible for stopping India-Pakistan tensions by issuing a trade threat. Yesterday Trump said he told PM Modi that India should not buy oil from Russia and India assured him that it will not buy oil from Russia. And the PM is silent on this! The PM should announce whether such a decision has been taken,” Ramesh said.
“PM praises Trump on Twitter but US imposes tariffs. Why won’t Indian government announce decisions taken?” he added.
‘Terrified’ of Trump: Rahul Gandhi
Earlier, Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on PM Modi, claiming that he is “terrified” of Trump. He disputed the US President’s claim and cited allegations against the Center to back up his point.
“PM Modi is afraid of Trump,” said Rahul Gandhi, enumerating recent incidents, “1.(PM Modi) allows Trump to decide and announce that India will not buy Russian oil. 2. Sends congratulatory messages despite repeated snubs. 3. Cancels Finance Minister’s visit to America. 4. Skips Sharm el-Sheikh operation. Contrary to by him. 5.
Read also | MEA clarifies position on Russian oil imports after Trump’s claims
It comes after the US president said on Wednesday (local time) that Prime Minister Modi had assured him that India would stop buying oil from Russia, calling it a “big step” in a bid to increase global pressure on Moscow.
Trump said this at a joint news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel in the Oval Office, where the two emphasized the administration’s efforts to reduce violent crime.
“MEA responds: Protect interests…”
India on Thursday responded to US President Donald Trump’s comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurances to end purchases of Russian oil, saying the country’s energy sourcing is driven by its national interests and the need to protect Indian consumers.
Responding to media queries, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “India is a major importer of oil and natural gas. Our constant priority has been to protect the interests of Indian consumers in an unstable energy scenario. Our import policy is guided solely by this objective. Ensuring stable energy prices and assured supply are the two objectives of our energy policy. This includes a broad base and diversification of energy sources. as appropriate to meet market conditions.”
Read also | Trump said Prime Minister Modi had assured him that India would stop buying Russian oil
“As for the US, we have been trying to expand our energy supply for many years. It has made steady progress over the last decade. The current government has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing,” he added.
