Prime Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday that India’s sovereignty was being undermined by what he described as growing US influence over the country’s economic decisions.
In a statement, Siddaramaiah referred to reports citing US Deputy Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who recently said that the United States would “allow” India to buy Russian oil for a limited period.
According to the Prime Minister, the language itself reflects an unacceptable situation for a sovereign state.
He added: “It is extremely insulting that the United States has now openly said that it will allow India to buy Russian oil for 30 days.” “No foreign government should be in a position to grant or deny permission to India to run its economy. However, this is the situation India finds itself in under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
The Prime Minister said that India appears increasingly dependent on Washington and noted that the country’s global position has weakened.
“Today it increasingly looks as if the capital of India is not New Delhi, but Washington, D.C.,” Siddaramaiah said. “Donald Trump talks like the acting Prime Minister of India, while Narendra Modi sounds like a puppet who is just following instructions. The Prime Minister of a sovereign republic cannot allow such a situation to arise.”
Referring to the recent geopolitical developments, Siddaramaiah said that the United States has repeatedly influenced India’s decisions on energy imports. “It is now impossible to ignore this pattern,” he said. “Trump repeatedly claims credit for the Operation Sindoor ceasefire, yet we have not heard any strong response from PM Modi. The US has asked India not to buy Iranian oil, and the Modi government has complied. It is putting pressure on Russian oil imports – India is reducing them. Now the US declares that Indian refiners are ‘allowed’ to buy Russian oil for only 30 days.”
Siddaramaiah also alleged that investigations involving associates of the Prime Minister created vulnerabilities that could be used to exert pressure on India.
He added: “This continued, meek surrender to the United States makes our previous suspicions seem increasingly real.” “The Adani investigations and the Epstein files – which implicate Narendra Modi’s closest allies – appear to have been weaponized by Donald Trump and used as a tool to blackmail India. Lots of hollow claims of making India a ‘Vishwaguru’.”
He also criticized the ideological positions taken by the ruling party and its followers. “Ironically, while RSS-BJP leaders continue to demand the removal of the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ from the Constitution, ‘sovereignty’ itself appears to have been removed in practice under their rule,” Siddaramaiah said.
The Prime Minister called for a more independent approach in foreign policy and said India must assert its voice at the global level.
“India must speak its voice in the world,” he said. “At a time when war and bloodshed are tearing the world apart, India must demonstrate moral leadership and independent thinking, guided by our history.”
Siddaramaiah concluded his statement by questioning Modi’s ability to protect the country’s interests. “Narendra Modi has repeatedly proven that he is incompetent and unable to defend and preserve India’s sovereignty and dignity,” he added. “For the good of the nation, he must step down.”
