The Congress party launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, accusing him of being “frightened” of US President Donald Trump and “outsourcing key national decisions” to Washington. The remarks came after Trump claimed that PM Modi had assured him India would stop buying oil from Russia.
In a post on X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that Modi had allowed Trump to dictate India’s oil policy and announce the decision on New Delhi’s behalf. “PM Modi is frightened of Trump. Allows Trump to decide and announce that India will not buy Russian oil. Keeps sending congratulatory messages despite repeated snubs. Cancelled the Finance Minister’s visit to America. Skipped Sharm el-Sheikh. Doesn’t contradict him on Operation Sindoor,” Gandhi said.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also took a swipe at the government, saying the Prime Minister’s silence on Trump’s repeated claims reflected weakness. “At 5:37 PM IST on May 10, 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the first to announce that India had halted Operation Sindoor. Since then, Trump has publicly taken credit 51 times across five countries, saying he intervened using tariffs and trade pressure. Yet our PM remained silent,” Ramesh said.
He added that Trump’s latest claim about Modi assuring an end to Russian oil imports “proves that the Prime Minister has outsourced key decisions to America.” Ramesh quipped, “The 56-inch chest has shrunk and shrivelled.”
Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, said the US was unhappy with India’s continued purchase of Russian crude, claiming such transactions helped fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine. “He (Modi) is a friend of mine, and we have a great relationship. But we were not happy that India was buying oil from Russia because that let Russia continue with this ridiculous war,” Trump said. “He assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big step. Now we’ve got to get China to do the same.”
Praising Modi’s leadership, Trump added that the phase-out of Russian oil purchases had already begun and would be completed soon. “He’s assured me there will be no oil purchased from Russia. It can’t happen immediately—it’s a process—but it’s underway,” Trump claimed.
India is currently the world’s third-largest oil importer and the second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels after China, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). After the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, India significantly increased Russian crude imports, citing affordability and national energy security amid global price volatility.
New Delhi has consistently maintained that its energy policy remains independent, driven by strategic and economic considerations, and that its position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict is based on “national interest and balanced diplomacy.”
