New Delhi, March 6 Following the US announcement that it is issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil, the BJP on Friday termed the development a success of "strategic oil diplomacy" under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said it is a "major embarrassment for anti-India Rahul Gandhi and the Congress".
The BJP also accused the Congress and Gandhi of creating panic by spreading "false news about an oil shortage".
"Rahul Gandhi and the Congress resent India acting with strategic restraint and strategic clarity under Prime Minister Narendra Modi," BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said on X.
Amid escalating tensions with Iran, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said on Thursday, "President (Donald) Trump's energy agenda has resulted in oil and gas production reaching record levels.
To ensure oil continues to flow into the global market, the Treasury Department is issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil."
"India is a crucial partner of the United States, and we fully expect New Delhi to increase its purchases of US oil. This temporary measure will alleviate the pressure caused by Iran's attempt to control global energy," Besant said on X.
This "deliberately short-term measure" will not provide significant financial benefits to the Russian government, as it only authorizes transactions involving oil already stranded at sea, Besant said.
Welcoming the development, Bhandari said, "This is a major embarrassment for anti-India Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, who wanted to create panic by spreading false news about an 'oil shortage'!"
"Once again, India's strategic oil diplomacy under PM Narendra Modi succeeds!" the BJP spokesperson added.
Bhandari also criticized Congress leader Jairam Ramesh for his comments on the US waiver, and said the main opposition party's "conspiracy" to provoke India into making a mistake will not succeed.
Taking a swipe at the Modi government after the US announced the temporary waiver, the Congress asked, "How long will this 'American blackmail' continue?"
In a post in Hindi on X, Ramesh said, "Trump's new strategy; told his friend in Delhi, you can buy oil from Putin; how long will this American blackmail continue?"
Hitting back, Bhandari asked Ramesh to stop spreading "false news".
"You have a history of compromising sovereignty. That is what Gandhi-Vadra and the compromised Congress did for 70 years," the BJP spokesperson said in a separate X post.
"Facts: India has been buying Russian oil; there has been no disruption! You should answer why in 2013 you begged the United States for an exception to sanctions for the purchase of Iranian oil," Bhandari added.