Modi diminishing BRICS+ presidency value to appease Trump, Netanyahu: Congress
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Monday lashed out at the government for not releasing a collective statement on the West Asia conflict as the BRICS+ chair, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "diminishing" the standing of the grouping's presidency in his desire to "appease" US President Donald Trump and maintain his "cozy relationship" with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh recalled that Brazil was the President of BRICS+ in 2025 and it got the 11 member countries to issue a joint statement in June 2025 on the US and Israel air assaults on Iran.
"India is boasting of being the President of BRICS+ in 2026. But till now it has not summoned up the inclination or the courage to put out a collective statement on the US-Israel air offensives on and targeted assassinations in Iran, as well as on Iran's subsequent attacks on non-military targets in the GCC countries, and the shocking action of the US Navy in the Indian Ocean close to both Sri Lanka and India," Ramesh said on X.
"In his desire to appease President Trump and maintain his cozy relationship with Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr. Modi is diminishing the value and standing of the BRICS+ Presidency," the Congress leader said.
The Congress last week had attacked the Modi government for its "silence" on the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said "a compromised prime minister no doubt wants to avoid antagonising his American and Israeli friend".
Ramesh had said India has rightly condemned Iran's attacks on Gulf states but is "completely quiet" on the US-Israeli assault on Iran in the first place.
The Congress has said the Opposition is demanding a discussion in both Houses of Parliament on the situation in West Asia and its impact on India, but the Modi government is "adamantly refusing" to allow such a debate as it is "afraid".
The opposition party also claimed that the government's foreign policy "already stands brutally exposed".
The Congress had staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha and protested in the Lok Sabha on being dissatisfied with the statement of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in both Houses of Parliament last Monday.
The party termed as "vapid" Jaishankar's statement on the West Asia situation in Parliament and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy "(mis)adventurism", coupled with the government's "undermining" of the Indian Foreign Service, is pushing India into "vassalage".
The US and Israel launched a major military attack on Iran on February 28, killing Khamenei.
Making a suo-motu statement in Parliament, Jaishankar had said New Delhi stood for maintaining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states in the region. He defended allowing the Iranian ship to dock at an Indian port as the right decision taken on humanitarian grounds.
He said the Indian government had been constantly monitoring the evolving situation in the region at the highest level and had already brought back 67,000 stranded Indians from the conflict zone.
Jaishankar said the safety of Indian nationals and national interests, such as energy security and trade, remain the topmost priority for the government.
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US renews sanctions waiver for purchase of Russian oil
Washington (PTI): The United States has extended by a month a waiver from sanctions to allow countries to buy petroleum products from Russia, days after it ruled out renewal of the special measure.
The US Department of Treasury issued an order late Friday extending the waiver from sanctions on Russian oil that is already at sea on or before April 17 through May 16.
Earlier, the US had granted an exemption from sanctions to India for buying Russian oil for a month beginning March 5. A few days later, a similar waiver was extended to several other countries, which ended on April 11.
The general licence issued by the US on Friday does not authorise any transaction involving a person, entity or joint venture located in Iran, North Korea, Cuba, or parts of Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would not be renewing the waiver for Russian oil and another for Iranian oil.
The previous waiver of sanctions had made available 140 million barrels of Russian oil already loaded on ships to global markets as prices soared against the backdrop of the US war with Iran.
"Effective April 17, 2026, General License No. 134A, which was dated March 19, 2026 and expired on April 11, 2026, is replaced and superseded in its entirety by this General License No. 134B," said the order issued by the Department of Treasury.
