India will buy oil where it gets 'best deal': Indian envoy to Russia
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Moscow (PTI): Indian companies will continue buying oil from wherever they get the "best deal", India's envoy to Russia Vinay Kumar has said, asserting that New Delhi will continue taking measures which protect its "national interest".
In an interview with Russia's state-run TASS news agency published Sunday, Kumar said that New Delhi's priority is ensuring energy security of the country's 1.4 billion people.
His remarks come amid US criticism of India’s purchase of discounted Russian crude, a criticism which India has strongly rejected.
Stressing that trade takes place on a "commercial basis", Kumar said, "Indian companies will continue buying from wherever they get the best deal. So that's what the current situation is."
"...We have clearly stated that our objective is energy security of 1.4 billion people of India and India's cooperation with Russia, as of several other countries, has helped to bring about stability in the oil market, global oil market," the report quoted him as saying.
His comments come in the backdrop of the Donald Trump administration doubling tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent additional duty for India's purchase of Russian crude oil.
The US has alleged that India's purchases of Russian crude oil are funding Moscow's war in Ukraine, a charge strongly rejected by India.
Calling Washington's decision "unfair, unreasonable and unjustified", Kumar said that the Indian government "will continue taking measures which will protect the national interest of the country".
India has been maintaining that its energy procurement, including from Russia, is driven by national interest and market dynamics.
Kumar said that trade between India and Russia is based on mutual interests and market factors, and added that it is done with the "overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India".
"There are other countries including the US itself and in Europe trading with Russia," he said.
On Saturday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, responding to a question on the US criticism of India on the crude oil issue, said, “It's funny to have people who work for a pro-business American administration accusing other people of doing business.”
“That's really curious. If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don't buy it. Nobody forces you to buy it. But Europe buys, America buys, so you don't like it, don't buy it,” he said.
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41 lakh illicit liquor seized, 1.84 lakh arrested in major drive: K'taka Minister tells Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.
As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.
The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.
"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.
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He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.
According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.
The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.
Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.
Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.
At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.
The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.
