On Saturday, Rahul Gandhi criticized Ram Madhav over his recent “factually incorrect” remarks on Russian oil imports, saying they reflected the “true nature” of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Rahul Gandhi accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of being a “Surrender Sangh” and described it as “farzi.”
“Rashtriya Surrender Sangh. Farzi nationalism in Nagpur. Pure servility in the US. Ram Madhav has only revealed the Sangh’s true nature,” he wrote in a post on X.
What prompted Rahul Gandhi’s remark?
Rahul Gandhi’s remark came a day after Ram Madhav spoke at a panel discussion in the US, where he said India had taken several steps to maintain strong ties with Washington. He cited examples such as agreeing to stop buying oil from Russia and Iran despite opposition criticism, and accepting steep US tariffs without much protest.
He later clarified his statement, saying India had not agreed to stop importing oil from Moscow. He admitted that, while trying to counter other panelists, he made remarks that were factually incorrect.
“What I said was wrong. India never agreed to stop importing oil from Russia at any point. It also strongly protested the 50 percent tariff. I was attempting to make a limited counterpoint to another panelist, but my comments were factually incorrect. My apologies.”
The US renews waiver for imports of Russian oil.
To help ease global oil and gas prices – still elevated due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route handling about one-fifth of global petroleum and 25–30% of LNG trade – Washington has issued a 30-day general licence. This allows countries, including India, to continue purchasing energy from Russia without facing US sanctions.
A similar waiver was first issued in March, with India among its key beneficiaries. According to reports citing government officials, India ordered around 30 million barrels of oil from Russia after the waiver took effect.
Indian refiners such as Reliance Industries had earlier scaled back purchases from Russian suppliers like Rosneft and Lukoil due to US sanctions on these energy firms.
Trade ties had come under strain after Washington imposed 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25 percent punitive levy linked to Russian oil purchases.
Following a series of diplomatic talks, US President Donald Trump announced a new trade deal with India featuring lower reciprocal tariffs and expanded market access, while claiming that New Delhi would halt purchases of Russian oil and significantly increase imports of American goods. India now faces a reduced tariff rate of 18 percent.