New Delhi, Oct 18: The Congress on Saturday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “Mauni Baba” whenever US President Donald Trump repeats claims about India reducing its oil imports from Russia or halting Operation Sindoor.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh highlighted that Trump has again stated he was assured by his “good friend” that India will cut back on Russian crude purchases.
“But that good friend suddenly becomes a Mauni Baba whenever President Trump talks about Operation Sindoor or India reducing its oil imports from Russia,” Ramesh posted on X.
Ramesh also cited India’s trade deficit with China, which rose to USD 54.4 billion during April–September 2025, compared to USD 49.6 billion in the same period last year.
Trump recently claimed that India has “de-escalated” its purchase of Russian oil, marking the second time he made such assertions. Responding, the External Affairs Ministry said India is broad-basing and diversifying energy sources to meet market conditions, emphasizing that import policies are guided entirely by national interest.
Earlier, Congress alleged that PM Modi is “frightened” of Trump and appears to have outsourced key decisions to the US, criticizing the government’s foreign policy approach and urging greater consultation with opposition leaders.
The remarks come amid strained India-US relations, following Trump’s doubling of tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25% additional duty linked to India’s purchase of Russian crude, which India called unfair and unjustified.