Beleaguered by accusations of surrendering to foreign pressures, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded to the Opposition’s criticism regarding a crude oil deal. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya revealed instructions from former US Secretaries of State, including Hillary Clinton, directing countries like India to reduce oil imports from Iran. This revelation, shared on social media, highlighted past instances where nations, including India, complied with US directives to cut down oil purchases from Iran.
Malviya’s disclosures come amidst a political storm over India’s alleged concession to the Trump administration by purchasing oil from Russia. The Opposition has criticized the government, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following the US Treasury Secretary’s announcement of a 30-day waiver for Indian refiners to buy Russian oil amid Middle East tensions. This development sparked a heated exchange between the BJP and the Opposition, with accusations of surrender and historical mistakes being traded.
In response to the Opposition’s claims, Amit Malviya cited instances from 2012 and 2013 when the US Secretaries of State unilaterally reduced oil deliveries from Iran to several countries, including India. By sharing statements from Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, Malviya aimed to counter the narrative of Indian foreign policy failure. These revelations are expected to escalate the verbal sparring between the BJP and the Opposition, with each side accusing the other of diplomatic shortcomings.
