As US President Donald Trump claimed that India will significantly reduce Russian oil imports by year-end, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday hit back by criticising him for making announcements on behalf of New Delhi.
Speaking to ANI, Tharoor asked President Trump not to announce India's decisions to the world, as New Delhi does not speak for Washington, DC.
The Congress MP said, "I don't really think it's appropriate for Trump to be making announcements about India's decisions. I think India will make announcements about its decisions. We don't tell the world what Trump will do. I think Trump should not be telling the world what India will do."
Earlier on Wednesday (US local time), US President Donald Trump claimed that India will significantly reduce Russian oil imports by year-end, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance.
President Trump also said that the process of phasing out Russian oil imports will be 'gradual, claiming that India will bring it "down to almost nothing" by the end of the year.
"India, as you know, told me that they would stop. It is a process; you can't just stop it. But by the end of the year, they will be down to almost nothing. That's a big thing, that is almost 40 percent of the oil. India has been great. Spoke to Prime Minister Modi yesterday and they have been absolutely great," President Trump said during an interaction with press persons in the White House, while hosting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
However, India denies any agreement, emphasising its priority to safeguard consumer interests. The country's energy policy prioritises stable prices and secure supplies.
This comes in the backdrop of Trump imposing 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods, urging New Delhi to diversify energy sources.
Welcomes Tejashwi Yadav as Mahagathbandhan's CM face
Amid speculations of a rift within the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday welcomed the move to announce Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav as the alliance's chief minister face in Bihar, calling it a "signal of support" for the RJD.
Tharoor lauded Congress for naming a Chief Ministerial candidate ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, noting that earlier the party usually does not announce a CM face in polls.
He told ANI, "It's a very good message, and I think it's not at all a bad idea that Congress is participating for the first time. The Congress normally doesn't name CM candidates; they're participating in naming a CM candidate in advance. That's a very clear signal of support as well."
The Congress MP further noted that in India, people vote for a face in the elections.
Tharoor said, "I think it's a very good development because frankly, our country, the voters like to vote for a face. This was the strength of so many individual leaders in the past, also."
"In Tamil Nadu, people voted for Jayalalithaa rather than for her party, MGR rather than his party. That is the spirit in which many voters turn. Similarly, in Bihar, for them to know if you vote for us, this is who you get," he added.
Earlier today, Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot declared Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. Mukesh Sahani, who heads the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), has been named the Deputy CM nominee.