America's attempts to put pressure on India about its close-knit partnership with Russia, especially on its crude purchases from the Eurasian nation amounts to rumor-mongering at a time of national polls in the South Asian country, a strategic affairs pundit has said.
The comments of Binay Kumar Singh, a Senior Research Fellow of Strategic Studies at the New Delhi-based think tank, Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation come ahead of the visit of two senior officials of the US Treasury Department to New Delhi.
Interestingly, US Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Anna Morris and Treasury Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy Eric Van Nostrand would hold talks about the implementation of a price cap to "further limit Russia's income" from India.
US Officials to Discuss Implementation of Price Cap on Russian Oil
"They will discuss key bilateral issues, including cooperation on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, other illicit finance issues, and continued implementation of the price cap...," an official statement from the US Department of the Treasury read.
In this light, Singh underlined that strangely Morris and Nostrand, seem to be suggesting that India is financing some sort of terrorist activity and it is quite apparent that they are here to put a check on that.
However, the think tanker asserted that it must be noted that India itself is a victim of terror financing, and if the US is damn serious about it, it must check all those financing modules or channels that are routed through America or by the blessings of Washington.
India, Russia Victims of Terrorism
"Not just India, but many countries in the world have been victims of terror financing. So why just take an isolated case of the Ukraine conflict? It is a conflict and nowhere terrorism is involved in that. If terrorism was involved anywhere in this conflict, it was the attack on a Moscow concert hall a few days back. That was a terrorist attack but this is a military conflict, which is different from terrorist activities," Singh expressed.
"That's why I don't know what a person from America's Treasury Department specializing in 'Terrorist Financing' has to do with India's oil imports from Russia," he opined.
He mentioned that he agreed with the Indian government's stance, particularly with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar who has repeatedly stressed that New Delhi's priority is the country's people.
One must understand that an increase in the price of oil increases the prices of so many commodities, including essential items. Therefore, it is the first duty of any nation, India included, to have a check on inflation.
US Trying to Build an Anti-Modi Narrative Ahead of National Polls
According to the international relations expert, India has its priorities and one thing is very clear about India across the globe, by no means, remotely also, it cannot be involved in any kind of terror financing.
"But when national polls are around the corner in India, there is an attempt by the US to build a narrative and even some of the Western diplomats have tried to intervene in the internal affairs of India. On the contrary, it is a time when they must look into their affairs, their activities, and their internal affairs," Singh noted.
He emphasized that in India, elections are huge, and any kind of external pressure, or intervention will amount to rumor-mongering.
"The timing of America's attempts to undermine India-Russia relations is critical and questionable also. In fact, it raises questions on the integrity, intentions, and sincerity of the US about having a deep relationship with India," Singh reckoned.
US Found to be Involved in Terror Financing in the Past
He highlighted that if the US really wants to check terror financing, Washington must put a check on itself before lecturing India about the same or before trying to intervene in the internal affairs of such a majestic and vibrant democracy as India.
"Because there have been instances where the US financial system was found to be involved in terror financing across the world," he concluded.