Gandhi’s comments come a day after Madhav participated in a panel in the United States, where he said New Delhi had done enough to ensure good relations with the United States.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday rebuked RSS leader Ram Madhav over his recent “factually wrong” comments on Russian oil imports, calling them reflective of the Sangh’s “true nature”.
Gandhi accused the Sangh of being a “Surrender Sangh” and called the organization “Farzi”.
“Rashtriya capitulates Sangh. Frazian nationalism in Nagpur. Absolute subservience in USA. Only Ram Madhav has exposed the Sangh’s true nature,” he wrote in a post on X.
What led to Gandhi’s statement?
Gandhi’s taunt comes the next day Madhav participated in a panel in the USHe said that New Delhi had done enough to ensure good relations with the United States. He cited examples of India agreeing to stop buying oil from Russia and Iran despite opposition criticism. He added that India agreed to 50 percent US tariffs “without saying much.”
He later clarified his observation and said that India had not agreed to stop importing oil from Moscow, adding that while trying to present a counter view to the committee members, he said some things that were factually wrong.
“What I said was wrong. India did not agree to stop importing oil from Russia at any time. It also strongly protested against the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs. I was trying to present a limited view to other members of the committee. But this is not factually correct. I apologise.”
The United States renews its exemption from Russian oil imports
To ease oil and gas prices around the world, which remain high due to the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage that accounts for about one-fifth (20%) of global oil consumption and nearly 25-30% of global LNG trade, Washington issued a 30-day general license allowing countries around the world, including India, to buy energy from Russia without US sanctions.
Read also: US renews waiver that allowed India to buy Russian oil two days after saying it would not do so
A similar waiver was first issued in March and India was the main beneficiary of the waiver. According to reports citing government officials, India has placed orders to purchase nearly 30 million barrels of oil from Russia after the sanctions waiver came into effect. Indian refiners such as Reliance had previously halted purchases from Russian suppliers such as Rosneft and Lukoil due to US sanctions against major energy companies.
Trade relations were strained after Washington imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, including a punitive 25% duty linked to Russian oil purchases. After a series of diplomatic talks, US President Donald Trump announced a new trade deal with India that includes lower mutual tariffs and expanded market access, while claiming that New Delhi will halt its purchases of Russian oil and sharply increase its imports of US goods. India now faces a reduced rate of 18 percent.
Karishma Ayaldasani is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, where she works with the digital team on fast-moving breaking stories from India and around the world. She enjoys covering national and global news, with an emphasis on providing updates quickly and clearly so readers can understand what’s happening as it unfolds. She is comfortable in high-pressure newsroom settings, and regularly contributes live blogs, explainers and real-time coverage. Before joining Hindustan Times, she was part of the digital team at The Indian Express, worked with the social media team at Firstpost, and spent time as a creative strategist at Clematis Advertising. Outside of work, she loves exploring different art forms and relaxing with music. With more than three years of experience in fast-paced newsrooms, she brings curiosity, clarity and consistency to her work.Read more
