(MENAFN- Live Mint) Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday took a jibe at the Congress party, asking whether its leaders understand geopolitics. Goyal said the Congress party needs to introspect because even the opposition doesn't consider Congress as its leader.

“I think they need to make up their mind, whether they have any policy, thinking, or geopolitical understanding,” Goyal said hours after Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, slammed the Narendra Modi governmen amid Donald Trump's claims on Russian oil purchases.

“A few days ago, I heard the Congress asking why there is no trade deal. It's a rudderless, leaderless, and directionless party. The Congress really needs to introspect because I suspect today even the opposition doesn't look at Congress as their leader, forget any leadership of the country,” Goyal told news agency ANI.

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Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday took a dig at the centre, saying that decisions made by the Indian government are announced by US President Donald Trump.

Yahan se tareef, wahan se tariffs: Ramesh

“The decisions made by the Government of India are announced by President Trump in Washington DC. Yahan se tareef, wahan se tariffs,” Ramesh, General Secretary in charge of Communication in Congress, told news agency ANI.

Ramesh's remarks came hours after President Trump claimed that PM Modi had assured him that New Delhi would stop purchasing Russian oil, months after the US imposed punitive tariffs on India over these imports.

Earlier, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on PM Modi, alleging that he is "frightened" of Trump. He objected to the US president's claim and listed allegations against the centre to bolster his point.

This comes after the US President on Wednesday (local time) said that PM Modi had assured him that India would stop purchasing oil from Russia, describing it as“a big step” in efforts to increase global pressure on Moscow.

Trump made the remarks during a joint news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel at the Oval Office, where the two highlighted the administration's efforts to curb violent crime.

'MEA responds: Safeguard the interests...'

India on Thursday responded to comments made by US President Donald Trump about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance to halt Russian oil purchases, stating that the country's energy sourcing is guided by its national interests and the need to protect Indian consumers.

Also Read | 'Yahan se tareef, wahan se tariffs': Jairam Ramesh jabs PM Modi

Responding to media queries, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said,“India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective. Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions.”

(With agency inputs)

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