The Congress on Wednesday criticized the Centre after US President Donald Trump once again claimed that India would reduce its oil imports from Russia. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh pointed out that this was the fourth time in six days that Trump had publicly announced India’s policy, highlighting a lack of transparency from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While Modi acknowledged the phone call and Diwali greetings from Trump in a social media post, he did not mention any discussions regarding oil imports. The opposition party mocked this approach, saying “what the PM conceals, Trump reveals,” and accused the government of keeping key foreign policy decisions secret from the public.

Earlier, Trump had stated during a Diwali celebration at the White House that he had spoken with Modi about trade matters, particularly India’s energy purchases, and that he received assurance from the PM that India would wind down purchases of Russian oil. The Congress said Trump’s repeated statements show that Modi becomes silent whenever international pressure is highlighted, pointing to Trump’s comments on stopping Operation Sindoor and imposing tariffs on Indian exports as examples. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, however, denied knowledge of any such assurance, saying India’s oil strategy is aimed at safeguarding consumers amid volatile global energy markets.

The Congress also alleged that Modi seems “frightened” of Trump and has outsourced key foreign policy decisions to the US, claiming that the government’s foreign policy has “completely collapsed.” The party demanded that the Centre take opposition leaders into confidence, either through an all-party meeting or individual consultations. The repeated focus on India’s Russian oil purchases by the US has fueled political criticism at home, with the Congress asserting that New Delhi’s international stance is being dictated externally rather than determined independently.