New Delhi, Mar 11 (UNI) Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday criticised the Narendra Modi government after remarks attributed to the press secretary of US President Donald Trump regarding India’s imports of oil from Russia, saying the comments amounted to a “capitulation certificate” being issued to the Indian prime minister.
In a post on the social media platform X, Ramesh said that after the US Treasury Secretary, the White House press secretary had now weighed in on India’s stance over Russian oil purchases and praised the Modi government for agreeing to halt imports.
“After the US Treasury Secretary, it is now the turn of President Trump’s Press Secretary to give Mr. Modi a capitulation certificate,” Ramesh wrote. “According to her, the Modi Govt behaved well by agreeing to stop imports of oil from Russia, and as a reward it has now been allowed to do so for a period of 30 days.”
Ramesh alleged that such remarks reflected poorly on India’s diplomatic posture and suggested that the government was yielding to pressure from Washington.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly maintained that India’s energy decisions are guided by national interest and the need to ensure affordable fuel for its citizens. New Delhi has also defended its purchase of discounted crude oil from Russia following disruptions in global energy markets after the outbreak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Since the start of the conflict, Western nations have imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow and sought to limit Russian energy revenues. However, several countries, including India, have continued to buy Russian crude, citing energy security and market considerations.
India’s imports of Russian oil rose significantly after the conflict began, with refiners taking advantage of lower prices compared with other global benchmarks. The government has previously argued that Europe itself continued to purchase various forms of Russian energy even while urging other countries to reduce dependence on Moscow.
The Congress party has frequently accused the Modi government of compromising India’s strategic autonomy in its foreign policy, while the government has countered that it is pursuing a balanced and pragmatic approach in dealing with global powers.
