‘Exploitation’: Rahul Gandhi takes dig at ‘victimized individuals’ at Center after US exempts Russian oil

Opposition Lok Sabha leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday lashed out at the foreign policy of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, claiming it was “exploitation of damaged individuals” in the backdrop of the US’s recent exemption to India allowing New Delhi to buy Russian oil.“Rahul criticized X while retweeting a video shared by the Congress of him addressing the issue of India’s trade sovereignty in the Lok Sabha, writing: “India’s foreign policy stems from the collective will of our people. It should be rooted in our history, our geography and our ethos based on non-violence and non-violence. What we are seeing today is not a policy. It is the result of the exploitation of compromised individuals.”In the video shared by the Congress, Rahul can be heard blaming Prime Minister Modi and calling him “compromising”. “The United States will tell us who we can or cannot buy oil from – Russia or Iran, the United States will decide. But our prime minister will not decide,” he said.Earlier in the day, Congress took aim at the Center after the US announced it would allow India to continue buying Russian oil, questioning how long this “American blackmail” would last.Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote in a post onEarlier, the United States issued a temporary exemption to allow India to continue buying Russian oil, saying the move was aimed at stabilizing global energy supplies amid rising tensions in the Middle East.U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant said: “President Trump’s energy agenda has resulted in oil and natural gas production reaching record levels. To allow oil to continue flowing into global markets, the Treasury Department will issue a 30-day temporary exemption allowing Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil.”He added that Washington expects India to increase energy imports from the United States in the future. “India is an important partner of the United States and we fully expect New Delhi to increase its purchases of U.S. oil,” Bessant wrote, noting that the temporary measure would “reduce the pressure caused by Iran’s attempts to hijack global energy.”The exemption comes as India faces potential risks of energy supply disruptions due to escalating tensions in the Middle East. On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a joint military strike against Iran, killing Ali Khamenei and several senior officials, and the situation further deteriorated thereafter.Nearly 40% of India’s oil imports come from the region, with a large portion transported through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.Russia, meanwhile, said it was ready to divert crude oil shipments to India to offset potential supply disruptions caused by the conflict. According to Reuters, nearly 9.5 million barrels of Russian oil are currently located near Indian waters and may arrive in the country within weeks.Possible changes in supply following Iranian attacks on ships in the region have raised concerns that the Strait of Hormuz could be partially closed – a development that could affect around 40% of India’s crude imports.