In a sharp political confrontation, Rahul Gandhi on October 16 accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being “frightened” of U.S. President Donald Trump, in reaction to Trump’s claim that Modi had assured him India would stop purchasing Russian oil. 

Gandhi posted a five-point critique on X (formerly Twitter), alleging Modi allowed Trump to “decide and announce” India’s energy policy, frequently sent congratulatory messages to Trump despite slights, cancelled the Finance Minister’s U.S. visit, skipped international summits like Sharm el-Sheikh, and failed to contradict Trump’s account of geo-political interventions such as Operation Sindoor. 

Trump earlier stated that Modi “assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia,” adding that phasing out imports “is a little bit of a process.” India, which has relied heavily on Russian crude imports in recent years, has not formally confirmed such a commitment in public. 

The dispute underscores intensifying tensions in India’s foreign and energy policy sphere, with opposition voices demanding clarity on whether Delhi is ceding strategic autonomy under external pressure.