"Trump hamara baap hai kya?": Congress' Imran Masood tears into centre over Trump's Russia oil claim

New Delhi [India], October 16 : Congress MP Imran Masood on Thursday slammed the centre over Donald Trump's "India would stop purchasing oil from Russia" claims, asking whether the US president was India's guardian.
Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the issue, Masood asserted that the centre must clearly state that the country stands with Russia since it is 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.
The Congress MP stated that Trump can't ignore India, as it is a significant market in the global context. Referring to the US' support to Pakistan despite being in conflict with China, Masood said that no one was in favour of India.
"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," Masood said.
Meanwhile, senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh today took a dig at the centre, saying that decisions made by the Indian government are announced by the US president.
"The decisions made by the Government of India are announced by President Trump in Washington DC. Yahan se tareef, wahan se tariffs," Ramesh, General Secretary incharge of Communication in Congress, told ANI.
He further asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reveal before Parliament the details regarding the US trade deal and why it has not been concluded yet.
"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.
This comes after the US President on Wednesday (local time) said that PM Modi had assured him that India would stop purchasing oil from Russia, describing it as "a big step" in efforts to increase global pressure on Moscow.
Trump made the remarks during a joint news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel at the Oval Office, where the two highlighted the administration's efforts to curb violent crime.
Responding to ANI's question on whether he viewed India as a reliable partner, 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.
Trump also criticised India's previous oil imports from Russia, stating, "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."
As this happened, India on Thursday responded to comments made by US President Donald Trump about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance to halt Russian oil purchases, stating that the country's energy sourcing is guided by its national interests and the need to protect Indian consumers.
Responding to media queries, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "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."
"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.