Centre yielding to US pressure on Russian oil imports: Siddaramaiah 

Bengaluru, March 9 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that India’s sovereignty and independent decision-making are being compromised due to the Central government’s handling of relations with the US.​

In a strongly worded statement, Siddaramaiah said it was “deeply humiliating” that the United States was openly saying it would “allow” India to buy Russian oil only for a limited period.​

He said no foreign government should ever be in a position to grant or deny India permission to run its economy.​

“Yet this is the situation India finds itself in under Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.​

The Chief Minister remarked that the current situation made it appear as though India’s capital was no longer New Delhi but Washington DC.​

He alleged that US President Donald Trump was speaking “like the acting Prime Minister of India”, while PM Modi had been reduced to a “puppet who merely follows instructions”.​

“A Prime Minister of a sovereign republic cannot allow such a situation to arise,” Siddaramaiah said.​

Referring to what he called a recurring pattern, the Chief Minister said Trump had repeatedly claimed credit for the Operation Sindoor ceasefire, yet there had been no strong rebuttal from the Prime Minister.​

He further alleged that the Narendra Modi government had complied with pressure from the United States on issues such as importing oil from Iran and Russia.​

“Now the United States announces that Indian refineries are ‘allowed’ to buy Russian oil for only 30 days,” he said, describing the situation as a sign of “continuous and meek surrender”.​

Siddaramaiah also alleged the files linked to Jeffrey Epstein had been “weaponised” and used as tools to pressure India.​

He said the development contradicted the BJP’s claims of making India a “Vishwaguru”. The Chief Minister further criticised leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party for demanding the removal of the words “secular” and “socialist” from the Constitution, while, according to him, “sovereignty itself appears to have been removed in practice”.​

Stressing that India must speak with its own voice on the global stage, Siddaramaiah said the country should show moral leadership and independent thinking at a time when the world was facing conflicts and wars.​

“India must be guided by its own history and values,” he said.​

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to defend the country’s sovereignty and dignity, Siddaramaiah said the Prime Minister had repeatedly demonstrated that he was “incompetent and incapable” of upholding India’s interests. ​

He added that, for the good of the nation, PM Modi should step down from the post.​

--IANS

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