The Indian National Congress on Wednesday launched a sharp critique against the government following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions about India’s stance on Russian oil imports. The opposition party highlighted what it described as a lack of transparency, noting that Trump had, for the fourth time in six days, publicly commented on India’s policy regarding Russian oil purchases.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh expressed his disapproval, stating that Prime Minister Modi had finally publicly acknowledged a phone call with President Trump. However, Ramesh pointed out that while Modi only mentioned exchanging Diwali greetings, Trump revealed details of their discussion. According to Ramesh, the U.S. President claimed that India had assured him of reducing oil imports from Russia.
This incident follows an earlier instance where, Ramesh recalled, President Trump had announced the cessation of “Operation Sindoor” before Prime Minister Modi addressed it. The Congress party accused Modi of obscuring facts, asserting that “what Mr. Modi conceals, Mr. Trump reveals.” Ramesh further elaborated on this point via a post on social media.
Prime Minister Modi, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday morning, thanked President Trump for his phone call and warm Diwali wishes, adding, “On this festival of lights, may our two great democracies continue to illuminate the world with hope and stand united against terrorism in all its forms.”
The phone conversation occurred amid a challenging period for US-India relations, marked by ongoing disagreements over trade tariffs and various other issues. Reflecting on their discussion, Mr. Trump commented from the White House, “I love the people of India. We’re working on some great deals between our countries. I spoke to Prime Minister Modi today and we just have a very good relationship.” He further emphasized, “He’s not going to buy much oil from Russia. He wants to see that war end as much as I do. He wants to see the war between Russia and Ukraine to end.”
Mr. Trump concluded his remarks by reiterating that India has significantly cut back its oil purchases from Russia and intends to continue doing so.