BJP leader Ram Madhav sparked controversy after claiming during a panel discussion at the Hudson Institute in the United States that India had stopped buying oil from Russia despite criticism from the opposition.
A video clip of the discussion has since gone viral on social media, triggering sharp reactions from opposition leaders. During the panel, when asked, “Where is India not doing enough?” Madhav responded, “India agreed to stop buying oil from Iran. We agreed to stop buying oil from Russia despite so much criticism from our opposition. India agreed to a 50% tariff without saying too much. So where exactly is India not doing enough to work with America?”
His remarks drew criticism from the opposition, with Shama Mohamed, spokesperson of the Indian National Congress, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had compromised India’s national interests to please the administration of former US President Donald Trump.
Following the backlash, Madhav issued a public apology and clarified his statement. In a social media post, he wrote, “What I said was wrong. India didn’t agree to stopping import of oil from Russia anytime. Also, it vigorously protested the 50 percent tariff imposition. I was trying to make a limited counterpoint to the other panelist, but it was factually incorrect. My apologies.”
