The Congress party delivered a strong rebuke to the government on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, concerning former U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated claims about India’s Russian oil imports. The party highlighted that Trump had brought up the issue three times in just five days, seemingly dismissing all attempts by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to deny any conversation where Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to cease these imports.
This criticism from the opposition followed Trump’s statement that India would face substantial tariffs if it continued purchasing Russian oil. He reiterated his belief that Prime Minister Modi had assured him that New Delhi would indeed cease its oil acquisitions from Moscow.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting, “President Trump has now raised the issue of India’s Russian oil imports three times in the last five days, a tally he’s likely to extend before his meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Budapest this week.” Ramesh further quoted Trump, stating, “President Trump claims he has spoken to his ‘good friend’ Mr. Modi, who allegedly promised India would halt these imports. Despite the MEA expressing unawareness of such discussions, President Trump has clearly disregarded their attempts at denial.”
Earlier, while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump had warned that India would continue to incur significant tariffs if it did not stop buying oil from Russia, suggesting India would eventually yield to this pressure.
These comments were made in response to questions concerning India’s recent stance on its Russian oil procurement.
The Congress had previously attacked Prime Minister Modi on Saturday, October 18, 2025, suggesting he turns into a “mauni baba” (silent sage) whenever Trump makes claims, whether about resolving the India-Pakistan conflict or India reducing its Russian oil imports.
This previous assertion came after Trump reiterated his claims that India would cease purchasing Russian oil, implying the country had already “de-escalated” and was “pulling back” from previous agreements.
Notably, this marked the second instance of Trump making such public declarations.
Earlier on Thursday, October 16, 2025, India had responded by stating its commitment to “broad-basing and diversifying” its energy sourcing in line with market demands. This official clarification came just hours after Trump’s initial claim that Prime Minister Modi had personally assured him of New Delhi’s intention to halt Russian crude oil procurement.
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, when questioned about Trump’s assertion that PM Modi gave this assurance on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, stated he was unaware of any such telephone conversation. Jaiswal further clarified that India’s oil purchasing decisions are solely driven by the need to protect Indian consumers’ interests amidst a “volatile” global energy market.
The Congress party has previously alleged that Prime Minister Modi is “frightened” by Trump and appears to have effectively outsourced crucial policy decisions to the United States.
Furthermore, the opposition claimed that the Modi government’s foreign policy was in “complete collapse” and urged the central government to consult opposition leaders, either through an all-party meeting or individual discussions.
Meanwhile, Washington has consistently argued that India’s purchase of Russian crude oil effectively helps finance Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
Relations between New Delhi and Washington have been severely strained after Trump imposed a drastic increase in tariffs on Indian goods, reaching a staggering 50%. This included an additional 25% duty specifically targeting India’s Russian crude oil purchases. India, in turn, vehemently labeled these U.S. actions as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.”