Congress slams Modi govt over US monitoring of India's Russian oil

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh slammed the Modi government, alleging it has agreed to US monitoring of India's Russian oil imports, which could lead to a 25% tariff penalty if India is found importing oil from Russia.

Congress Slams Govt Over US Monitoring of Russian Oil

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Saturday slammed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government, alleging that the Centre has agreed to US monitoring of India's import of Russian oil as part of the interim framework agreement of the trade deal.

In a post on X, Jairam Ramesh said, "The US will now monitor whether India is importing oil from Russia or not. If the US decides India has imported Russian oil directly or indirectly, the extra 25% tariff penalty is back. This is truly extraordinary. And the Modi govt has accepted it!!" The US will now monitor whether India is importing oil from Russia or not. If the US decides India has imported Russian oil directly or indirectly the extra 25% tariff penalty is back. This is truly extraordinary. And the Modi govt has accepted it!! Naam Narender Kaam Surrender… pic.twitter.com/82cqU8YoFa — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 7, 2026

Congress MP Manish Tewari also asked the government to clarify its position on the White House's statement, announcing the elimination of the additional tariffs imposed on India for the purchase of Russian Oil. Has Government made this commitment to @realDonaldTrump 👇 “Specifically, India has committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil, has represented that it will purchase United States energy products from the United States, and has recently committed… — Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) February 7, 2026

"India has committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil, has represented that it will purchase United States energy products from the United States, and has recently committed to a framework with the United States to expand defence cooperation over the next 10 years," the White House said.

Government's Position on Energy Security

However, the Indian government has not released any confirmation regarding its commitment to stop the purchase of Russian oil.

Earlier, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal told Parliament that "ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion Indians is the supreme priority of the government".

During his statement on the India-US trade deal in the Rajya Sabha, Goyal noted that diversifying energy sources in response to market conditions is central to the national strategy.

Details of India-US Trade Framework

India and the US announced a framework for an Interim Agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. The joint statement said that the framework reaffirms the countries' commitment to the broader Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations, launched by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13, 2025, which will include additional market access commitments and support more resilient supply chains.

The United States will also remove tariffs on certain aircraft and aircraft parts from India, which were imposed to address national security threats, the joint statement said.

According to the statement, India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of S food and agricultural products, including dried distillers' grains (DDGs), red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products.

India also intends to purchase USD 500 billion of US energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts, precious metals, technology products, and coking coal over the next five years. (ANI)

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