Indian diaspora stages peaceful protest in Munich against Pahalgam terror attack
advertisementThe protest drew support from prominent German political figures, including Member of Parliament Prof. Dr. Hans Theiss and Munich City Councillor Delija Balidemaj, who stood alongside demonstrators to condemn terrorism and support international peace efforts.
The Munich rally is the latest in a wave of global protests by Indian communities outraged by the Pahalgam attack. In recent days, Indian diaspora groups across Europe have organised similar demonstrations, voicing their concerns and expressing unity with those affected by the violence.On May 3, more than 100 protesters assembled at Piazza Fontana near Duomo in Milan. Participants included members of the Sikh, Christian, Tamil, and Malayali communities, as well as Indian students. The crowd condemned the attack and called for global attention to the threat of terrorism in the Kashmir region.advertisementA day earlier in Berlin, demonstrators marched past several iconic landmarks, including the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Dom, and Humboldt Forum, in a large-scale protest that drew the attention of passersby and tourists.Earlier, in London, members of the Indian community had gathered outside the Indian High Commission in a show of support. The protest coincided with a counter-demonstration led by pro-Khalistani and Pakistani groups.Must Watch
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Trump's ‘penalty' tariff threat: How much Russian oil does India buy? What are the other alternatives?
Donald Trump's threat of a 'penalty' tariff on India for buying Russian crude oil looms large as New Delhi and Washington try to reach a trade deal. Russia accounted for a mere 0.2 per cent of India's imports of crude oil before the Ukraine war began in February 2022. Today, the South Asian country is among the top buyers of Russian oil. But how did this happen? read more A view shows an oil pump jack outside Almetyevsk, in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, July 14, 2025. File Photo/Reuters United States President Donald Trump has increased pressure on India to reach a bilateral trade deal by imposing 25 per cent tariffs on Indian imports. Compared to India, more than 50 countries have lower levies, including Pakistan and Bangladesh at 19 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively. On Wednesday (July 30), Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on goods imported from India from August 1 and threatened a 'penalty' tariff for buying Russian crude oil. In another scathing attack, the US president said that India and Russia could 'take their dead economies down together.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As Trump goes after New Delhi for its trade with Moscow, particularly crude, can India give up Russian oil? Let's take a closer look. How much Russian oil does India buy? India's oil purchases from Russia have seen a hike since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. In fact, China and India are the top two buyers of Russian oil. Before the Ukraine invasion in early 2022, Russia accounted for a mere 0.2 per cent of India's imports of crude oil. India purchased 68,000 barrels per day of crude oil from Russia in January 2022, PTI reported, citing global real-time data and analytics provider Kpler. By June 2022, Russia replaced Iraq to become India's top oil supplier. Moscow supplied 1.12 million barrels per day (bpd) to India, compared to 993,000 bpd from Iraq and 695,000 bpd from Saudi Arabia. The turnabout came as the West sanctioned Russia over its war in Ukraine. This led Moscow to cut crude prices, with discounts reaching $40 per barrel at one point. India ramped up its purchase of discounted crude oil from Russia. In May 2023, Russian oil imports peaked at 2.15 million bpd. A man stands at an Indian Oil fuel station in Sonipat, March 5, 2025. India's oil purchase from Russia has increased in the past three years. File Photo/Reuters India's import of crude oil from Russia has not fallen below 1.4 million bpd. While prices have varied, New Delhi has since bought Russian oil worth approximately $275 billion each year, as per a New York Times (NYT) report. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Since the Western sanctions on Russian oil, China has purchased 47 per cent of Russia's crude exports, followed by India (38 per cent), the European Union (six per cent), and Turkiye (six per cent), according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) analysis. Last month, India's crude oil imports from Russia rose to an 11-month high of about 2.08 million barrels per day. 'In June, India remained the second-largest purchaser of Russian fossil fuels, importing fossil fuels worth 4.5 billion euros. Crude oil accounted for 80 per cent (3.6 billion euros) of these imports,' as per the CREA data, reported by CNBC-TV18. The oil companies in India refined some of their imported crude oil for domestic consumption, while the rest was exported as diesel and other products, including to Europe. The cheap Russian oil helped India keep inflation in check and the economy stable amid growing geopolitical tensions. India has maintained a neutral stance in Russia's war with Ukraine. It has also defended its trade with Moscow, citing historical ties and energy needs. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri has also repeatedly stated that global oil prices would have significantly spiked if India had not purchased Russian oil. Can India cease buying Russian oil? As Trump presses New Delhi, Indian state refiners have stopped buying Russian oil in the past week, industry sources told Reuters. On July 14, Trump had threatened 100 per cent tariffs on countries buying Russian oil unless Moscow reached a peace deal with Ukraine. Puri previously asserted that India was not perturbed by the US president's threat, as oil markets remain well supplied. 'Russia is 10 per cent of global production. We have the analysis that if Russia were not included, the prices would have gone to $130 a barrel. Even Turkey, China, Brazil and even the EU have bought oil and gas from Russia,' the minister said. Puri also warned an uptick in oil prices if Russian crude was shunned. 'There are two possibilities: one, the whole world consumes 10 per cent less — which means some people won't get heating in winter; some won't get air conditioning in summer; some of the transport will stop flying. Or, you start buying more from the remaining 90 per cent (suppliers). You know what that would do to prices? The prices would skyrocket,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD If Trump goes through with his threat of a 'penalty' tariff, it would become difficult for India to continue buying Russian oil, the discount on which has decreased. In such a case, Indian refiners will have to return to their traditional crude suppliers in West Asia and seek new ones such as Brazil. However, these new barrels would bear a higher cost, ranging around $4-5/barrel, as per an Economic Times report. India has also enhanced its crude imports from the US. However, it is not easy for the South Asian country to ditch Russian oil, partly because its refineries are configured for Russia's denser and more sulfurous fuel, reported NYT. 'The pivot away from Russia — if forced — will be costly, complex and politically fraught,' Kpler wrote in a note this week. With inputs from agencies
India.com
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- India.com
Tariff tension with US hits Indian companies, decides to pause oil import from Russia due to...
Tariff tension with US hits Indian companies, decides to pause oil import from Russia due to... Trump Tariff Woes: As Donald Trump's tariffs are haunting several countries, Indian oil refineries are also feeling the heat. Oil refineries such as Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals have temporarily halted purchases of crude oil from Russia. Notably, India is the biggest buyer of seaborne Russian crude oil. The country ranks third in the world in terms of oil imports. According to reports, Indian refiners have turned to the Middle East and Africa to purchase oil. Indian Refiners Quietly Pulling Back On Russian Oil As per a report by Reuters, citing sources, stated that the state-owned refineries have not imported oil from Russia since last week. However, no response has come from the companies regarding the development. It is to be noted that four state-owned refiners – IOC, BPCL, HPCL, MRPL – buy Russian oil in bulk but no purchase has been done since last week, Reuters report said, citing sources. As the supply of crude oil have impacted, these refiners are now looking at the spot market to fulfil their demands. These refiners are now buying crude oil from West Asia and West African oil. This occurs as the price reductions on Russian oil have decilned, alongside President Donald Trump's caution to nations regarding the acquisition of oil from Moscow. The report states that Indian refiners are distancing themselves from Moscow's crude oil due to shrinking discounts. The price reductions on Russian crude oil have decreased to their lowest levels since 2022, attributed to reduced exports and consistent demand. Private Refiners Still Importing Russian Crude Oil Meanwhile, the private players of the country are still importing the crude oil from Moscow as per their annual agreement with the country. Notably, the discounted rates at which India was buying crude from Moscow since 2022 has declined. Recently, US President Donald Trump has issued a warning that India could face a 100 percent tariff for buying crude oil from Russia. Starting August 1, he's already set a 25 percent tariff on Indian goods as part of a broader move affecting more than 90 countries. It is expected that Trump may hit New Delhi with more penalties over its oil trade with Russia.
Hans India
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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor Breaks Ranks With Rahul Gandhi Over Trump's 'Dead Economy' Remark
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has publicly contradicted party colleague Rahul Gandhi's support for US President Donald Trump's characterization of India as a "dead economy," creating another visible fissure within the opposition party's leadership. Speaking to reporters on Friday, the Thiruvananthapuram parliamentarian firmly rejected Trump's economic assessment, stating simply that "this is not the case, and we all know it." His response directly countered Gandhi's endorsement of the American President's remarks made just one day earlier. Trump's inflammatory comments emerged this week as part of his broader criticism of India's relationship with Russia, where he declared indifference toward India-Russia cooperation and dismissed both nations as having "dead economies." The remarks accompanied his announcement of 25 percent tariffs on Indian goods effective August 1. Rahul Gandhi, serving as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had embraced Trump's economic critique as validation of his criticism against the Modi government. Gandhi claimed that everyone except the Prime Minister and Finance Minister recognized India's economic struggles, alleging that the BJP had deliberately damaged the economy to benefit industrialist Gautam Adani. Tharoor's dissent represents the latest indication of growing tensions between the senior Congress leader and his party's official positions. Unlike Gandhi's harsh governmental criticism, Tharoor refrained from attacking the Modi administration while rejecting Trump's characterization. The government has strongly defended India's economic performance through Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal's parliamentary statements. Goyal emphasized India's status as the world's fastest-growing major economy and its trajectory toward becoming the third-largest global economy, while asserting that India would protect its national interests regarding US tariff implications. This disagreement compounds existing friction between Tharoor and Congress leadership, particularly regarding his public support for Operation Sindoor, which conflicts with the party's official stance. Tharoor has consistently prioritized national interests over party positioning, stating that "the nation comes before the party" when defending military operations. The rift deepened when the government appointed Tharoor to head the Operation Sindoor delegation to the United States without Congress party nomination. Sources indicate he declined participation in parliamentary debates on the operation, reportedly unwilling to contradict his established positions for party messaging purposes. This pattern of public disagreement highlights broader challenges within Congress regarding message discipline and ideological coherence, particularly when national security issues intersect with partisan political considerations.
