India’s import of oil from Russia has declined slightly owing to logistical and other reasons, but certainly not halted. This also has nothing to do with any policy decision taken by the Indian government. There is stability in petrol and diesel prices mostly because of cheap oil imports from Russia which, as everybody knows, is essential for keeping not only the economy on track but also the voters in a good mood. These facts are generally known and, yet, the Congress party and its leader, Rahul Gandhi, are claiming that imports have been stopped at US President Trump’s behest. How do they know that? Because Donald Trump said so.
Earlier, too, Trump made claims that he had halted a war (Operation Sindoor) between India and Pakistan. That too was accepted as true by the Congress, claiming that it exposed PM Modi’s weakness. Also, Pakistan’s claims on shooting down IAF fighter jets were accepted at face value. Since then, there have been repeated occasions when the purpose and efficacy of Operation Sindoor have been explained in depth by the Indian Armed Forces, but this has not been considered credible. This attitude continues to this day.
It would be understandable if this political strategy could be seen working for the Congress. There has been little sign of that thus far. If the party has made progress, it has been for reasons with greater political traction, particularly in regional and local contexts. The strategy seems to be focused entirely on setting up Rahul Gandhi’s image as the counter to Narendra Modi at the national level, no matter how dubious the content of the allegations. Public perception is expected to hyphenate Rahul with Modi. The problem, however, is whether the Congress is instead succeeding in furthering the image of its leader more as an amateur politician, incapable of understanding the intricacies of diplomacy, economics and strategic vision. It cannot be at all helpful to be ranked with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Donald Trump when it comes to display of leadership acumen, or the lack of it. If anything, it is the continued backing of regional parties that is keeping the Congress going as a political entity, otherwise its ideological vacuum is clearly visible in its sole focus on Narendra Modi’s personality. Does the Congress really believe that in a post-Modi scenario, its alliance partners will view Rahul Gandhi as the alternative? Will other interests not prevail?
