BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has lashed out at the Narendra Modi government for its decision to buy oil from Russia in the wake of sanctions imposed by the West on the latter. Swamy also questioned the new foreign policy of India saying that India must not become a pitcha laggu (follower) and neither should it become a ‘concubine.’
Swamy said, “India buying Russian crude oil is anti-democracy, a betrayal of the goals of our valiant fighters of the Emergency. Soviet Union had supported Mrs. Gandhi then and used KGB disinformation against JP and Morarji. Today, KGB official is Russia’s dictator.”
When one of his followers claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had refused to meet the Chinese foreign minister after China occupied Indian territory in the Galwan Valley, Swamy replied, “Are you sure Modi did not meet him since Wang was in Doval South Block office two doors down from PM’s office?”
Swamy said that he too was in favour India’s foreign policy changing with time, but maintained that India must not lose its pole position in global politics.
“I am advocating change. We have transited from Soviet Union to Russia stating both are same. Putin has not condemned his senior partner Xi for grabbing Indian territory. I want change that makes India a pole in the globe on its own, not a pitcha laggu and not be a concubine,” Swamy said.
The 83-year-old politician likened India’s decision to buy cheap Russian oil to that of ‘buying cheap phones from China.’
India has defended its right to buy discounted oil from Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. This despite chilling threats from the US Deputy NSA Daleep Singh, who was recently in India on a two-day visit. Singh had said that there would be consequences for countries that ‘actively attempt to circumvent the sanctions’ imposed on Russia in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s military invasion of Ukraine.
