Shringla hits back at Congress over Russian Oil remarks, calls it a ‘False Narrative’

On October 6, 2026, the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) hosted a conversation in New Delhi between former Australian Prime Minister Dr. Kevin Rudd and Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Asia’s geopolitical future. The discussion covered US-China strategic competition, India-China relations, energy security and the Indo-Pacific. Shringla’s remarks on Russian oil purchases have since become a political flashpoint, with the Congress accused of taking statements out of context. In a subsequent response, Shringla asserted that India’s energy security and national interest remain paramount, defending the Modi government’s approach to strategic autonomy and calling for political debate based on facts.