The Congress party has sharply criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what it calls a pattern of silence—likening him to a "mauni baba" (silent sage)—whenever US President Donald Trump makes unsubstantiated claims about India's foreign policy decisions. The latest barb from Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh targets Trump's repeated assertions that Modi assured him India would slash its Russian oil imports, a statement that contradicts official Indian positions.
In a pointed post on X, Ramesh highlighted Trump's "good friend" reference to Modi, noting the US president's insistence that India has "de-escalated" and is "pulling back" from Russian crude purchases. "But that good friend suddenly becomes a Mauni Baba whenever President Trump says he stopped Operation Sindoor and now when he says that India will reduce its imports of oil from Russia," Ramesh wrote, alluding to Trump's earlier disputed claims of brokering a ceasefire in the India-Pakistan military operation earlier this year. This marks the second instance of Trump raising the oil issue, despite India's firm denials of any such commitments.
The remarks follow Trump's Wednesday statement, where he claimed Modi had personally assured him during a conversation that India would end Russian oil buys "soon" but not immediately. Hours later, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal rebutted the narrative, emphasizing that India's energy sourcing is guided solely by national interests and consumer protection in a volatile market. "It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer," Jaiswal stated, adding that New Delhi is actively diversifying suppliers while expanding ties with the US. Data shows Russian crude still accounts for about 34% of India's imports in September 2025, down slightly due to market dynamics rather than external pressure.
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Compounding the tensions, Ramesh drew attention to India's widening trade deficit with China, which surged to $54.4 billion in April-September 2025 from $49.6 billion the previous year—a stark reminder of economic vulnerabilities amid global trade frictions. Congress has accused the Modi government of "outsourcing key decisions to America" out of fear of Trump, alleging a collapse in foreign policy autonomy. The party has renewed calls for an all-party meeting or direct consultations with opposition leaders to address these developments transparently.
The backdrop includes strained India-US relations, exacerbated by Trump's August imposition of 50% tariffs on Indian goods—25% base plus an additional 25% penalty for Russian oil purchases—actions Washington justifies as curbing funding for Russia's Ukraine war. India has decried these as "unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable," while public sector refiners have noted a 45% drop in Russian imports from June to September 2025, attributed to falling discounts and lower global prices rather than coercion. As Trump leverages trade talks to press India, the episode underscores the delicate balance New Delhi navigates between energy security, strategic partnerships, and economic diplomacy.
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