New Delhi [India], August 12 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has prioritised "crony interests" over national welfare, noting that he allowed petrol and diesel to be sold at Rs 95-104 per litre despite India purchasing crude oil at discounted rates from Russia.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, "US President Donald Trump had imposed a 50 per cent tariff on India, and despite repeated demands, PM Modi has failed to take a firm stand to safeguard India's trade interests or send a clear message to the United States. Instead, PM Modi resorted to rhetoric, trying to portray himself as standing up for farmers and the public to avoid appearing under US pressure."
"Buying cheaper crude from Russia should have benefited the Indian people -- cheaper diesel would have helped farmers, and cheaper petrol would have eased the burden on the common man. But today, diesel and petrol are still selling between Rs 95 and Rs 104 per litre," Sanjay Singh said.
Singh said the truth is now clear: "PM Modi works for his capitalist friends, not for the nation."
Sanjay Singh demanded that PM Modi answer directly: "Since India began buying cheap crude from Russia, how many thousands of crores worth of oil have we imported? How much money have we saved? Of that saving, how many thousands of crores have benefited the people of this country? And how much has gone into the pockets of your friends?"
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said there will be no trade negotiations with India until a dispute over tariffs is resolved, following his administration's decision to double tariffs on Indian imports. The tariffs were imposed by the US as a "penalty" for buying Russian oil.
The US statement department stated that "India is a strategic partner" and that the US is engaging with India in "full and frank dialogue" even as relations between the two countries continue to witness tension amid the tariff dispute.