"Struck deal at cost of country's honour": Congress slams PM Modi as "weak" after Trump says India to stop purchase of Russian oil

New Delhi [India], October 16 (ANI): Congress launched a scathing attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a "weak" PM after US President Donald Trump said that India had assured him of stopping the purchase of oil from Russia.
Congress alleged that PM Modi struck a deal with the US President at the cost of the country's honour while "fearing Trump's anger and threats."
The Opposition party's X handle on Thursday wrote, "Narendra Modi has once again struck a deal at the cost of the country's honour. Trump says - Fearing his anger and threats, Modi has assured that India will not buy oil from Russia."
"One thing is clear - Narendra Modi is a weak Prime Minister and his actions have completely ruined the country's foreign policy," the party said.
Congress accused the Prime Minister of ruining India's relations with Russia in an attempt to fix his relationship with Donald Trump.
"@narendramodi, Russia has always been a special ally of India. Don't ruin the 'country's relations' just to fix your own 'hugging relationships'," the X post read.
This comes after the US President on Wednesday (local time) said that PM Modi had assured him that India would stop purchasing oil from Russia, describing it as "a big step" in efforts to increase global pressure on Moscow.
Trump made the remarks during a joint news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel at the Oval Office, where the two highlighted the administration's efforts to curb violent crime.
Responding to ANI's question on whether he viewed India as a reliable partner, Trump said, "Yeah, sure. He's (PM Narendra Modi) a friend of mine. We have a great relationship...I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That's a big stop. Now we've got to get China to do the same thing."
Trump also criticised India's previous oil imports from Russia, stating, "We were not happy with him buying oil from Russia, because that lets Russia continue on with this ridiculous war, where they've lost a million and a half people, by the way. Russia has lost a million and a half people, soldiers mostly."
Earlier, India had defended its oil imports from Moscow as essential for economic stability, even as Washington continued to urge New Delhi to diversify its energy sources. Donald Trump had levied additional tariffs of 25 per cent on Indian goods, claiming that India's imports of Russian oil, directly or indirectly, pose an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to the United States. (ANI)