New Delhi, March 6 -- The decision by the US Treasury Department to grant a 30-day temporary waiver (effective March 5 to April 4, 2026), citing disruptions in global oil supplies due to the Iran-Israel conflict, allowing Indian refiners to purchase stranded Russian crude, has sparked a fierce domestic political debate.

While the government frames the move as a pragmatic victory for energy security amid the escalating West Asia conflict, the Opposition argues it exposes a newfound Indian dependency on Washington's "permission."

The ruling BJP party hails this as a "diplomatic win" and a success of PM Modi's strategic oil diplomacy, while the opposition Congress party slams it as "strategic surrender" and "American blackmail."

What seem...