Exploitation Of A Compromised Individual : Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi : Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday described Indian foreign policy as "exploitation of a compromised individual," after the United States allowed a waiver for India to purchase Russian oil, amid shipping routes passing through the Strait of Hormuz being hampered.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday (local time) announced the 30-day measure to counter Iran during the conflict in West Asia, which has severely affected the Gulf countries supplying crude oil.

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central Government over the question of sovereignty, Rahul Gandhi said that New Delhi's foreign policy should be rooted in the nation's history and ethos.

"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 individual," Gandhi wrote on X.

Earlier today, Congress MP Manish Tewari also asked if India required permission from the US to decide on its energy sources. Slamming the US for its "neo-imperial arrogance," the Congress leader wrote, "'Issuing a 30-day waiver'- The  sanctimonious language of condensation drips with neo- imperial arrogance. Are we a banana republic that we need the permission of the US to secure our energy security imperatives?"

Questioning New Delhi's "silence" on the US' statement, Tewari added, "The silence of an otherwise overly loquacious government is deafening. Does it not understand what sovereignty means?"

Congress' remarks followed the US Treasury Secretary's X post, where he announced that the department has issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to purchase Russian oil to enable oil flow into the global market.

Washington said that it expects New Delhi to "ramp up" purchases of US oil after this short-term waiver.

"President Trump's energy agenda has resulted in oil and gas production reaching the highest levels ever recorded. To enable oil to keep flowing into the global market, the Treasury Department is issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil. This deliberately short-term measure will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government as it only authorises transactions involving oil already stranded at sea. India is an essential partner of the United States, and we fully anticipate that New Delhi will ramp up purchases of US oil. This stop-gap measure will alleviate pressure caused by Iran's attempt to take global energy hostage," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote on X.

Indian ceramic and fertiliser industries are expected to be affected by the hampering of the energy supply due to dependence on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. India sources nearly 40 per cent of its oil imports from the region, with a significant portion transported through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. 

Meanwhile, the conflict in West Asia has entered its seventh day following the US and Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, along with other key figures in the Persian Gulf country on February 28. In retaliation, Tehran has responded with counter-strikes targeting American military bases and other Israeli assets across the region.