Chandigarh

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday hit out at the central government over a US waiver allowing Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil, asking whether the country was being run from the White House.

Amid the escalating conflict with Iran, the US on Thursday said it was issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil.

Mann said he was surprised at newspaper reports that "India has been granted permission to buy oil for 30 days from Russia by (US President Donald) Trump. He (Trump) gave permission to India?"

"Who is running the country then? (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji should respond," he told reporters here. "Does the White House grants permission to our country?"

Mann asked what "weakness" of Modi does Trump know of that the PM "has to agree to whatever" the US president says.

Mann said the US-India interim trade deal opens the Indian market to American agriculture items, including soybean and corn. This is even more dangerous than the now-repealed three farm bills, the chief minister said.

"We were to become 'Vishwaguru' but we are becoming 'Vishwa-chele'," he added.

Trump had imposed a 25 per cent punitive tariffs on India for buying Russian oil earlier, with the administration asserting that Delhi's purchases were helping fuel Russia's war machine against Ukraine.

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Last month, the US and India announced that they had reached a framework for an Interim Agreement on trade, and Trump had issued an Executive Order removing the 25 per cent punitive tariffs on India, noting the commitment by New Delhi to stop directly or indirectly importing energy from Moscow and purchasing American energy products.

Amid the escalating conflict with Iran, the US has issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil currently stuck at sea in an effort to keep global supplies flowing and temper further price increases.