New Delhi/IBNS, March 6 -- The Congress has lashed out at the Modi government after the United States announced a temporary waiver allowing India to purchase oil from Russia to tackle the crude supply crisis amid the Middle East conflict, media reports said.

The country's primary opposition party questioned what authorises the US to take such a decision for a "sovereign and independent" India.

Bessent said the deliberately short-term measure would not provide any significant financial benefit to the Russian government, as it authorises only transactions involving oil that is already stranded at sea.

He added: "India is an essential partner of the United States, and we fully anticipate that New Delhi will ramp up purchases of US oil." ...