Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi Criticise Centre Over Foreign Policy, Raise Concerns on India’s Strategic Autonomy

Dated 6th March 2026

News By Dr. B R Abdul Wajid

Editor in Chief

New Delhi :  Mallikarjun Kharge, President of the Indian National Congress and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central Government over India’s foreign policy and diplomatic approach.

In a post on the social media platform X, Kharge alleged that India’s strategic autonomy and national sovereignty are under serious threat. He claimed that the Modi government is continuously giving away India’s diplomatic space under international pressure.

Referring to reports about the United States allowing India a temporary 30-day waiver to purchase Russian oil, Kharge said that such language is usually used for sanctioned countries and not for India, which has traditionally been an equal and responsible partner in the global order.

Kharge also mentioned several developments related to international relations. He said that during Operation Sindoor, former US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire before India made any official statement and repeatedly claimed that he had stopped the war. According to Kharge, the Prime Minister remained silent on these claims.

He further alleged that the United States had earlier asked India not to buy Iranian oil and later pressured the country to reduce imports of Russian oil. Kharge also claimed that the proposed Indo-US trade agreement was linked to India reducing Russian oil purchases, and that the government had accepted these conditions.

Kharge said the recent temporary waiver allowing Indian refineries to purchase Russian oil again shows that India’s foreign policy decisions are being influenced by external pressure.

Mallikarjun Kharge stated that India has always followed an independent foreign policy since the time of former Prime Ministers such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. According to him, no previous Prime Minister had allowed India to come under the pressure of another country.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader, also criticised the government’s foreign policy approach.

Rahul Gandhi said that India’s foreign policy should emerge from the collective will of the people and should be rooted in the country’s history, geography and spiritual values based on truth and non-violence.

He said the world is currently passing through a volatile phase and warned that India’s energy security could be at risk. He pointed out that more than 40 percent of India’s oil imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, making the country vulnerable during times of conflict.

Rahul Gandhi also expressed concern about the supply of LPG and LNG, stating that the situation could become more serious if tensions escalate further. Referring to recent developments, he said that the sinking of an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean indicates that the conflict is moving closer to India’s neighbourhood.

He said that at such a critical time the country needs strong and steady leadership. However, he alleged that the Prime Minister has remained silent and that India’s strategic autonomy has been weakened.