Raghavulu Faults Modi's US-Friendly Foreign Policy Over Oil Tariffs

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member B.V. Raghavulu on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy as being too closely aligned with the United States, warning that it could have serious consequences for the Indian economy.

His remarks came in response to the US decision to impose 100% tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas. Speaking to the media in the company of party State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao, Mr. Raghavulu said Mr. Modi should adopt a pragmatic approach to the emerging crisis and ensure that India's energy requirements were met without heavy dependence on the US.

He described Mr. Modi as subservient to Washington while President Donald Trump remained hostile towards India. The US's aggressive actions, he said, should be rejected unequivocally, and pressure should be brought on it to halt atrocities on Iran.

With crude oil prices crossing $100 per barrel, Mr. Raghavulu said a heavy burden was falling on India and expressed concern that the rising costs would be passed on to the people.

Turning to electoral issues, he said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls undermined democratic elections. Notices had been issued to lakhs of people, categorising them as ineligible on flimsy and arbitrary grounds, he alleged, accusing the Election Commission of aiding attempts to rig elections through its policies and actions.

Referring to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's comment that governance should be conducted on the basis of dharma, Mr. Raghavulu said it was intended to poison the minds of youth with ulterior motives. He added that Mr. Bhagwat's observation that secularism was unnecessary amounted to an insult to the Constitution.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was appeasing various sections with an eye on the coming local body elections. He said the CPI(M) would work with like-minded parties, including those in the INDIA bloc, to defeat the TDP-BJP-JSP alliance.