Ram Madhav's Russia, Iran oil remark boomerangs, gives Congress ammo

Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav landed himself and the government in a soup after suggesting that India had aligned closely with US interests by halting oil purchases from Iran and Russia, even as these efforts went unrecognised by the Trump administration. The remarks by Madhav at a Hudson Institute conference gave the Congress fresh ammo to reinforce its charge that the Narendra Modi government "surrendered" before Trump on key national interests. As the controversy snowballed, Madhav apologised, calling his remark "factually incorrect".

At the centre of the row was his assertion on how India showed flexibility with the US on key issues like tariffs and energy imports despite being under opposition pressure.

"India agreed to stop buying oil from Iran. We agreed to stop buying oil from Russia despite so much criticism from our opposition. India agreed to a 50% tariff without saying too much. So where exactly is India not doing enough to work with America?" Madhav said.

Madhav was part of a panel discussion that included former diplomat Elizabeth Threlkeld and former US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell.

The BJP leader suggested how India accommodated Trump's sensitivities over New Delhi's dealings with US adverseries like Russia and Iran. India had stopped buying Iranian oil in 2019 after the US imposed sanctions.

Its purchase of Russian oil also became a major flashpoint last year. The US claimed that India's purchase of Russian oil was funding Moscow's war machine against Ukraine. Ties reached an all-time low after Trump slapped a 50% tariff on Indian imports.

India, however, adopted a cautious approach and did not attack Trump. It kept open backchannel diplomacy. While India did reduce Russian oil imports, it never stopped them altogether. Relations, however, improved after India and the US reached a trade deal in February, with Trump reducing tariffs to 18%.

CONGRESS ATTACKS, MADHAV APOLOGISES

Madhav's remarks were enough for the Congress to pounce on the government. The party underlined that it suggested the Modi government compromised India's interests to please the Trump administration.

"Narendra's surrender policy on full display here! BJP and RSS leader Ram Madhav, justifying the Modi government's appeasement policy and exposing the disastrous foreign policy of 'vishwaguru'. Once slaves of the British, now RSS wants to become American slaves!" the Congress tweeted.

As the issue blew out of proportion, Madhav issued an apology, saying his statement was "factually incorrect".

"What I said was wrong. India didn't agree to stop importing oil from Russia anytime. Also, it vigorously protested 50% tariff imposition. I was trying to make a limited counterpoint... But factually incorrect. My apologies," Madhav said.

- Ends