# Congress slams Modi’s ‘slave’ diplomacy over energy crisis 2026-08-22T06:50:57+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of weak foreign policy, comparing his stance towards US and Israeli leaders to that of a 'ghulam' (slave). Khera blamed Modi's failure to condemn the 'illegal war' against Iran for pushing India into an energy crisis and economic strain. Khera claimed 60% of Indian households face LPG shortages, with authorities considering supplying only 10 kg in a 14.2 kg cylinder. He noted that gas cylinders are being sold in the black market for Rs 5,000, and 60,000 metric tonnes of basmati rice are stranded. He added that eight countries, including India, are negotiating with Iran for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but payments would be in Chinese currency. The Congress leader said India had always provided moral leadership and could have avoided the crisis if Modi had taken an independent stand. He noted that Russia and China have free access through the Strait of Hormuz, while India does not. Khera thanked the Iranian Embassy for acknowledging Indian public support, saying any concessions were for the people, not the government. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Congress attack reflects a broader geopolitical squeeze: India imports roughly 85% of its oil and relies heavily on the Strait of Hormuz for crude and LPG. During past Iran sanctions, India paid in rupees, saving foreign exchange. Now, a shift to Chinese yuan for payments would strain India's forex reserves, already under pressure. The next signal to watch is whether the government announces any change in LPG cylinder size or subsidy, which would directly impact household budgets ahead of elections. ## Coverage - inc.in The article is a direct Congress party press release attacking Modi's foreign policy as weak and blaming him for energy crisis, with no balancing government response. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Congress, Iran, LPG, Narendra Modi, Pawan Khera, Strait of Hormuz Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/congress-slams-modis-slave-diplomacy-over-energy-crisis/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/congress-slams-modis-slave-diplomacy-over-energy-crisis/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/