A fresh political slugfest erupted on Thursday after BJP leader Amit Malviya hit back at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was 'frightened' of US President Donald Trump.
Gandhi had accused the Prime Minister of letting Trump dictate India’s stand on Russian oil imports and compromising India’s diplomatic autonomy. Malviya, however, turned the argument on its head, saying that if Modi were truly afraid of Trump, the US President would not keep praising him publicly.
“If Prime Minister Modi were afraid of Donald Trump, then Trump wouldn’t be publicly saying ‘Modi is a great man’ every few days just to get his attention,” Malviya wrote on X.
Malviya’s counterattack: “This is Modi’s India, not Rajiv’s”
Malviya escalated his response by accusing the Congress of projecting its own history of 'appeasement' onto others. He said Gandhi’s understanding of diplomacy was shaped by a party legacy that repeatedly 'compromised India’s interests to please foreign powers.'
“Rahul Gandhi, given your family’s record and your party’s history, it’s no surprise you cannot grasp what ‘India First’ truly means. You assume, as your family did, that every Prime Minister compromises India’s interests to please foreign powers. But wake up. This is Modi’s India, not Rajiv’s, where India’s interests are never up for barter,” Malviya posted.
Congress legacy under fire: Nehru, Indira, Rajiv, Manmohan targeted
The BJP IT cell chief went further, citing specific incidents from past Congress governments to argue that the party had a pattern of yielding to international pressure.
- Jawaharlal Nehru: Malviya accused the first Prime Minister of “giving up” India’s recognition of Tibet, thereby removing the buffer with China and paving the way for the 1962 war.
- Indira Gandhi: He claimed that in 1983, Indira Gandhi backed out of a joint operation with Israel to strike Pakistan’s developing nuclear facilities, despite the Indian armed forces’ readiness.
- Rajiv Gandhi: Malviya alleged that the former PM ensured the main accused in the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy was flown out of India.
- Manmohan Singh: Referring to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Malviya said the then Prime Minister “buckled” under US pressure and was ready to make concessions to Pakistan before public outrage forced him to backtrack.
“These were the real moments of fear, when Congress governments gave in to foreign pressure. Modi’s India doesn’t operate like that,” Malviya said.
Rahul Gandhi’s charge: “PM Modi frightened of Trump”
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi had targeted the Prime Minister over US President Trump’s claim that Modi had assured him India would stop purchasing oil from Russia. Gandhi alleged this was proof of Modi’s submissive foreign policy.
In a detailed post on X, Gandhi wrote: “PM Modi is frightened of Trump.”
He listed a series of examples to back his claim:
- Allowing Trump to announce India’s decision to stop Russian oil imports.
- Continuing to send congratulatory messages despite repeated snubs.
- Cancelling the Finance Minister’s US visit.
- Skipping the Sharm el-Sheikh summit.
- Not contradicting Trump on Operation Sindoor.
The controversy began when Trump, during a joint news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel, said Modi had assured him that India would stop buying Russian oil, calling it 'a big step' to pressure Moscow.
“He’s a friend of mine. We have a great relationship... I was not happy that India was buying oil [from Russia]. And he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia,” Trump said.
In response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs clarified that the country’s energy decisions are guided solely by national interests.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s import policies are “aimed at safeguarding consumer interests” and ensuring “stable energy prices and secure supplies.”
“Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. Our import decisions are guided entirely by this objective,” Jaiswal said, adding that India continues to diversify energy sources while deepening cooperation with the US.
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