Punjab E News: Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Sardar Kultar Singh Sandhwan strongly criticized the silence of the Central Government over the recent development in which the United States has reportedly issued a 30-day waiver for India to purchase oil from Russia.
Sandhwan said that India is a sovereign and independent nation, and decisions regarding trade or energy purchases must be taken solely in the interest of the country. “What India buys and from which country it buys cannot be decided by asking or seeking permission from any other nation. Such decisions must be guided only by India’s national interest,” he said.
Expressing concern, he added that it is deeply disappointing that while America has announced a 30-day limit related to oil purchases from Russia, the Prime Minister of India has not issued any clear statement defending the country’s sovereign right to decide its own trade policy.
Sandhwan further said that it is painful for citizens of a free and sovereign nation to witness such developments that appear to undermine India’s independence in economic decision-making. “India is not a country that should operate under deadlines set by other nations,” he remarked.
He also raised questions about whether the silence of the Central Government is influenced by the interests of certain large companies that have close ties with the ruling establishment and conduct significant business in the United States. According to him, national interest must always take precedence over the business interests of any corporate group.
Sandhwan concluded by urging the Prime Minister to put the nation above all other considerations. “India is a free country, and our policies must reflect confidence, independence and commitment to national sovereignty. We must never allow external pressure to dictate our economic or strategic decisions,” he said.
