India Does Not Take Orders from Foreign Nations: Kamal Haasan Slams Trump

Mangalore Today News Network

Chennai, March 8, 2026: Actor-politician and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan has criticised remarks by a senior US official suggesting that Washington had given India “permission” to purchase Russian oil, asserting that India is a sovereign nation that does not take orders from other countries.

Haasan, leader of the Makkal Needhi Maiam, addressed the issue in a social media post directed at US President Donald Trump.

“Dear Mr. President, we, the people of India, belong to a free and sovereign nation. We no longer take orders from distant foreign shores. Please mind your own business to the best of your abilities,” Haasan wrote on X. He added that mutual respect between sovereign nations is essential for lasting global peace and wished peace and prosperity to the people of the United States.

The remarks came after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the United States had allowed India to buy Russian oil following disruptions in global supply chains caused by tensions in the Middle East. Speaking in an interview with Fox Business, Bessent said India had earlier been asked to stop purchasing sanctioned Russian oil but was later permitted to resume purchases to ease the temporary shortage in global oil supplies.

Responding to questions about Bessent’s statement, Trump said that allowing such purchases could help ease pressure in the global oil market.

Meanwhile, the Government of India said the country’s energy supplies remain secure despite disruptions linked to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. The Centre noted that India has diversified its crude oil imports from 27 to 40 countries to ensure alternative supply routes and added that the country buys oil from wherever it is available at competitive and affordable prices.

Officials also reiterated that India has never depended on permission from any country to purchase Russian oil.

The opposition Indian National Congress also criticised the US official’s remarks. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said India’s foreign policy should reflect the collective will of its people and be rooted in the country’s history, geography and values such as truth and non-violence.