Questions asked on buying oil from Russia Hardeep Puris befitting reply to US journalist becky anderson

New Delhi : Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has given a befitting reply to the question of American journalist on the purchase of oil from Russia. He has made it clear that the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not under any kind of pressure. He said that our moral responsibility is towards the consumers that petrol, diesel should be supplied to them.

American journalist Becky Anderson was claiming that India was taking advantage by buying oil at a discounted price. At the same time, he also asked questions about continuing to buy oil. Puri replied, 'I will first try to correct your assumption. Our fiscal year ended on March 31, 2022 and Russian oil purchases were at 0.2 per cent, not at 2 per cent. We buy only a quarter of what Europe buys in an afternoon.' At the same time, he also told the journalist that Iraq was India's biggest supplier last month, not Russia.

On the question of buying more oil from Russia, he said, 'We have a moral responsibility towards our consumers to keep getting petrol, diesel. We are not morally struggling to buy Russian oil. We don't buy oil from X or Y. We buy what is available. I don't buy, oil companies buy.

During this, he has also made it clear that India's talks are going on with America and Europe only. He said that PM Modi's government is not under any pressure.

Does India have back up plans?

Puri said, “We have several backup plans. Talks continue with the US and Europe. Modi government is not under pressure…. Earlier also the Union Minister had said that no country has asked India not to buy oil from Russia. He had said, 'India will buy oil from where it has to buy. The simple reason for this is that this discussion cannot be taken to the consumer population of India…. Has anyone forbade me to buy oil from Russia? The answer is no.