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'Frightened of...': Rahul Gandhi targets PM after Trump claims India won't buy Russian oil
Taking to X, the Congress MP accused the prime minister of being afraid of Trump and the US
Following US president Donald Trump's claim of India's assurance to not purchase Russian oil, Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Taking to X on Thursday, the Congress MP accused the prime minister of being afraid of Trump and the US.
In his post, Gandhi claimed that PM Modi is “frightened of Trump” after he “allowed” the US president to “decide and announce that India will not buy Russian oil.”
The Congress leader added that Modi also “keeps sending congratulatory messages despite repeated snubs”.
Gandhi's post on X comes after Donald Trump claimed PM Modi had given him “assurance” that India will no longer purchase Russian oil.
“I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That's a big stop,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office, adding that he shares a “great relationship” with PM Modi.
The US President added that after India, he would now “get China to do the same thing.”
India's purchase of Russian oil has been the headlines since August, after Trump announced an additional 25 percent tariff on New Delhi as a penalty. With this additional amount, Trump's tariffs on India went up to a total of 50 percent.
In response to the additional levies, PM Modi stated that he would not compromise on the livelihood of farmers, even if it meant "paying a heavy price".
Furthermore, the prime minister also renewed his push for “Make in India” and “self-reliance.”
"We should become self-reliant - not out of desperation, but out of pride," said Modi in his speech for Independence Day from the Red Fort.
"Economic selfishness is on the rise globally and we mustn't sit and cry about our difficulties, we must rise above and not allow others to hold us in their clutches," he added further.
‘56-inch chest has shrunk’ says Congress
Adding to Rahul Gandhi's remark, Congress' general secretary Jairam Ramesh took to X and claimed that the prime minister's ‘56-inch chest has shrunk and shriveled", referring to Home Minister Amit Shah's remark in 2019 where he said PM Modi is a man with a "56-inch chest” by destroying terrorist hideouts in Pakistan.
“At 5:37 PM Indian Standard Time on May 10, 2025, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the very first to announce that India has halted Operation Sindoor,” said Ramesh, adding that Trump has claimed 51 times in five countries that it was his intervention which halted Operation Sindoor.
Ramesh added that with Trump's latest statement, the prime minister has “outsourced key decisions to America.”
