New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, on Thursday slammed the Centre over US President Donald Trump’s claim that India will stop buying oil from Russia.

The Congress leader’s reaction comes even as the Centre is yet to respond to Trump’s latest claims.

Trump has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great man” and India as “an incredible country”, adding that he is open to meeting the Prime Minister on the sidelines of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.

Trump also claimed that he has been “assured” that India won’t be buying oil from Russia, while adding that he understands that it can’t be done “immediately”.

Reacting to Trump’s claims, Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, said, “PM Modi is frightened of Trump.”

“1. Allows Trump to decide and announce that India will not buy Russian oil. 2. Keeps sending congratulatory messages despite repeated snubs. 3. Cancelled the Finance Minister’s visit to America. 4. Skipped Sharm el-Sheikh. 5. Doesn’t contradict him on Operation Sindoor,” the LoP added.

The US President’s claims come amid reports that India continued to keep Russia as its top oil supplier in September, sourcing 34 per cent of its crude imports from Moscow.

Trump, speaking to the reporters, had said that if India doesn’t buy Russian oil, it makes it “much easier” to end the conflict.

“He assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia…You can’t do it immediately. It’s a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon, and all we want from President Putin…is to stop this,” he noted.

“Within a short period of time, they will not be buying oil from Russia, and they’ll go back to Russia after the war’s over,” he emphasised.

Trump told reporters that he would also pressure China “to do the same thing”.

The Trump administration imposed an additional 25 per cent tariffs on India in August for purchasing Russian oil while taking no action against China.

Trump’s statements come as India’s trade negotiating team is already in Washington for the next round of talks with US officials, and India’s chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal is slated to arrive late Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the Commerce Ministry stated that India can import more crude oil and natural gas worth $12-$13 billion from the US without altering the configuration of the refineries. The government is keen to diversify the country’s energy import portfolio, subject to availability at the “right price”.

–IANS

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