‘Baap hai kya?’: Congress MP Masood slams Centre over Trump’s Russia oil claim, PM Modi's ‘silence’
Questioning the Prime Minister’s silence on the matter, Masood said the government should make it clear that India stands with Russia, calling it an old friend.
Congress MP Imran Masood on Thursday lashed out at the Centre over US President Donald Trump’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him India would stop purchasing oil from Russia, asking if Trump was India's "father".
Trump hamara baap hai kya: Congress MP Imran Masood
Questioning the Prime Minister’s silence on the matter, Masood said the government should make it clear that India stands with Russia, calling it an “old friend.”
“Trump hamara baap hai kya? (Is Trump our father?) Why did he tell us everything while our Prime Minister stays silent? What secret is being kept? Are we being pulled back into those same shackles of slavery?” Masood told ANI.
Will we eat roti when Trump gives it: Masood
He further said Trump could not afford to ignore India, and discussed that India is a major global market.
Referring to Washington’s ties with Islamabad despite tensions with Beijing, Masood remarked that no one was Truly on New Delhi's side.
“Russia is our old friend. The government should firmly state that it stands with Russia. Will we eat roti only when Trump gives it to us? We are such a significant market, so Trump cannot afford to ignore us. Trump only thinks about his own interests. Despite being in conflict with China, the US is supporting Pakistan. If you understand the chronology, you’ll understand what’s going on in the world. Where do we stand? No one is ours, and we belong to no one,” he said.
Tarrif to tareef: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at the government. He said that important decisions regarding India were being taken by Trump and the US.
“The decisions made by the Government of India are announced by President Trump in Washington DC. Yahan se tareef, wahan se tariffs (Praise for one end, tariffs from another),” Ramesh, Congress general secretary in charge of communications, told ANI.
He urged the Prime Minister to clarify before Parliament the details of the reported trade deal with the US and the truth about oil imports from Russia.
“The PM should tell what is the truth behind buying oil from Russia? Why has the US trade deal not been concluded yet? He should take the Parliament into confidence, form a consensus and tell. Our foreign policy has completely failed,” Ramesh said.
What did Trump say?
Trump had said on Wednesday (local time) that Modi assured him India would halt oil purchases from Russia, calling it “a big step” to increase global pressure on Moscow.
Speaking at a joint news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel at the Oval Office, Trump said, “Yeah, sure. He’s (PM Narendra Modi) a friend of mine. We have a great relationship... I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big stop. Now we’ve got to get China to do the same thing.”
Criticising India’s earlier oil imports from Russia, Trump added, “We were not happy with him buying oil from Russia, because that lets Russia continue on with this ridiculous war, where they’ve lost a million and a half people, by the way. Russia has lost a million and a half people, soldiers mostly.”
Also Read | Trump claims India will stop purchase of Russian oil: ‘Modi assured me…’
India responds to Trump's comments
Responding to Trump’s comments, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the country’s energy sourcing decisions are driven by national interests and the need to protect consumers.
“India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective. Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
“Where the US is concerned, we have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement. This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing,” he added.
