‘Kab tak chalega blackmail?’: Congress slams US waiver for allowing India to buy Russian oil during Iran war

New Delhi: After the US announced it would allow India to buy Russian oil, Congress on Friday pointed the finger at the Center, asking how long this “American blackmail” will continue.Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post onCongress leader Manish Tewari also criticized the government and said, “Issuing a 30-day exemption – sanctimonious and condescending language full of neo-imperial arrogance. Are we a banana republic that needs US permission to ensure our energy security needs?”He added, “The silence of an overly talkative government is deafening. Doesn’t it understand what sovereignty means?”The move comes after the United States issued a temporary exemption allowing India to continue buying Russian oil, a move Washington said 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 to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil.”He added that the United States 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 at a time when India faces potential risks of energy supply disruptions in the Middle East. Tensions in West Asia escalated after the United States and Israel launched a joint military attack on Iranian territory on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials.Nearly 40% of India’s oil imports come from the region, with a large portion transported through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.Russia has said it is ready to divert crude oil shipments to India to offset 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.The potential supply diversion after Iran attacked ships in the region has raised concerns about a possible partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which would affect about 40% of India’s crude imports.