A categorical ‘NO’: Puri on whether India was told not to buy oil from Russia

New Delhi, Oct 08: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri said that India has not been told by anyone to stop buying oil from Russia. The government has a moral duty to provide energy to its citizens and it will continue to buy oil from wherever it has to, Puri said in Washington following a bi-lateral meeting with US energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm.

"If you are clear about your policy, which means you believe in energy security and energy affordability, you will buy from wherever you have to purchase energy from sources," Puri said.

"India will buy oil from wherever it has to for the simple reason that this kind of a discussion cannot be taken to the consuming population of India," he further added.
"Have I been told by anyone to stop buying Russian oil? The answer is a categorical No," the Union Minister further added.

The same point has been made by External Affairs Minister, Dr. S Jaishankar on several platforms. He had recently said that on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's advise on the issue, India was doing what was best for the nation. "Due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, petrol prices doubled. We had pressure from where to buy the oil but PM Modi and the government were of the view that we have to do what is the best for our nation," the foreign Minister had said.