The opposition on Friday slammed the Centre after the United States issued a 30-day waiver, allowing India to purchase Russian oil amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi shared a video of him speaking in the Parliament on February 11, wherein he warned that the energy security of the country was being compromised. “The US will tell us who we can or cannot buy oil from- is it Russia or Iran, the US will decide. But our PM will not decide,” Gandhi can be heard saying in the video.
Alongside the video, the LoP wrote that the foreign policy of India should be rooted in our history, geography, and our spiritual ethos. He also targeted PM Modi, saying that “whatever is being witnessed is not policy, but the result of the exploitation of a compromised individual.”
India’s foreign policy emerges from the collective will of our people.
It should be rooted in our history, our geography, and our spiritual ethos based on Satya and Ahimsa.
What we are witnessing today is not policy.
It is the result of the exploitation of a compromised… https://t.co/GEO4MY6hzu
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 6, 2026
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took to X, questioning the government about how long the “American blackmail” would continue. “Trump’s new game. Told the Delhi friend you can get oil from Putin. How long will this American blackmail go on?” his post stated.
Sharing the same video clip from Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha speech, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate stressed that the party was “proven right yet again”. “PM’s death-defying silence is embarrassing,” she wrote on X.]
Please Resign Instead Of Bowing: Kejriwal Targets PM
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal also took to X to slam the Centre over the US allowing India to buy Russian oil, questioning why New Delhi should require Washington’s approval for its energy imports.
“Who is America to grant India permission to buy oil from Russia? Why does India even need permission from America?” Kejriwal wrote on X.
Kejriwal came down heavily on PM Modi for “bowing before Trump,” and questioned him for remaining silent in the matter. He also demanded PM Modi’s resignation, suggesting that he should “step down for the country’s sake instead of bowing head like this.”
भारत को रशिया से तेल ख़रीदने की इज़ाज़त देने वाला अमेरिका कौन होता है? भारत को अमेरिका से इज़ाज़त की क्यो ज़रूरत है?
पिछले कुछ महीनों में देशवासियों ने बहुत पीड़ा के साथ देखा है कि किस तरह एक के बाद एक, हर कदम पर आप ट्रम्प के सामने झुक गए और आपकी उसके सामने बोलने तक की हिम्मत… https://t.co/5Hk2ZOB5f3
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 6, 2026
The criticism from the opposition came after the United States issued a waiver allowing India to continue purchasing Russian oil. Earlier on Thursday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that Washington is “issuing a 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil to enable oil to keep flowing into the global market”.
“President Trump’s energy agenda has resulted in oil and gas production reaching the highest levels ever recorded,” he added.
