India appearing to need US nod for oil imports is 'outrageous': Kerala CM

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 6 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that it was "outrageous" that India should appear to require US approval for decisions like oil imports.

India’s sovereignty is not subject to foreign “clearance", Vijayan said in a post on social media platform X.

His sharp criticism comes after the US issued a temporary 30-day waiver allowing Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil, amid escalating tensions with Iran.

"It is outrageous that a country like India should appear to require approval from the US for decisions such as oil imports. By allowing such a perception to take root, the Union government is humiliating our country before the world," Vijayan said in his X post.

He further said that decisions on who India trades with must be made by it alone, guided by its national interests.

"Our national dignity and energy security cannot be subject to any superpower’s approval," he asserted. PTI HMP ROH