India’s opposition Congress party has criticised Narendra Modi after renewed US warnings linking higher tariffs on Indian exports to continued purchases of Russian oil. Jairam Ramesh argued that a personality-driven foreign policy has failed to shield India from economic pressure. He said highly publicised displays of personal rapport with US leadership have not prevented repeated threats over trade and energy. Congress claims years of diplomacy have delivered few tangible benefits, leaving India vulnerable to sudden shifts in US policy. The criticism comes as Washington increases pressure on countries buying Russian energy amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. The government insists that purchasing discounted Russian oil is a sovereign decision needed for energy security and compliant with sanctions. While officials highlight strong defence, technology and trade ties with the US, critics warn that overreliance on personal chemistry weakens institutional diplomacy.

Narendra Modi's government has been accused by the opposition Congress party of using the tax department to financially cripple them ahead of the upcoming elections in April and May, which Modi’s BJP party are favourites to win. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi claimed a systematic effort to starve the party of funds, stating that freezing their 2.1 billion rupee (£20 million) accounts is unprecedented and undemocratic. Her son Rahul said, ‘This is not the freezing of our bank accounts. It is the freezing of Indian democracy.’ Without access to funds, the party is unable to spend money on advertisements and publicity, paying party workers, and printing campaign materials, They have also pointed out that this action has been taken at a time when it had just been revealed that the BJP had benefited hugely from the electoral bonds scheme set up in 2018, which the supreme court declared illegal in February. The BJP and tax authorities have yet to respond.