A political slugfest continues between the opposition Congress and the ruling BJP after the United States said it had “allowed” India to purchase Russian oil already at sea in a move aimed at easing supply concerns around the world amid the conflict in the Middle East.. A Hindustan Petroleum Corp. oil refinery in Mumbai, India, (Bloomberg). While the Congress termed this an “insult” that India would require such a permission at all, the BJP on Saturday claimed that the United States reached out to India for “help” to ease pressure on global refineries and bring stability to oil prices. The ruling party cited a statement by US energy secretary Chris Wright to make its point.. ALSO READ | ‘We want war to end’, Iranian traders in Tripura. BJP on Russian oil row. In a post on X, the BJP’s official handle shared a video of Wright in which he said during an interview that the US “reached out to friends in India” and asked New Delhi to “buy that oil and bring it into your refineries”.. Speaking to ABC News, the US energy secretary said the step was not a policy shift towards Russia but only a temporary move. “We reached out to our friends in India and said, ‘Buy that oil and bring it into your refineries,’” he said in the interview.. The BJP used the video to reject accusations by the opposition over the United States saying it had given “permission” to India to buy Russian oil.. “Shutting down the Opposition propaganda and outpour, US energy secretary Chris Wright puts it on record that the United States reached out to India for help in easing global refinery pressure and stabilising oil prices. A clear acknowledgment of India’s growing role in global energy stability,” the BJP said.. ALSO READ | ‘Buy that oil, bring it to your refineries’: Trump’s Energy Secretary on why US gave 30-day Russian oil waiver to India. Congress reacts, slams government. Responding to the BJP’s post on X, Congress national secretary Ruchira Chaturvedi shared a video of US treasury secretary Scott Bessent in which he said during an interview that the US had given India “permission” to buy Russian oil.. “The world is very well supplied in oil. Yesterday, the Treasury (Department) agreed to let our allies in India start buying Russian oil that was already on the water,” secretary Bessent said in an interview to Fox Business on Friday.. “The Indians had been very good actors. We had asked them to stop buying sanctioned Russian oil this fall. They did. They were going to substitute it with US oil. But to ease the temporary gap of oil around the world, we have given them permission to accept the Russian oil,” he said.. Chaturvedi slammed the BJP-led Centre over India “needing US’ permission” and accused the party of “defending American attack on our sovereignty”.. “Why does India need US’ permission? Instead of asking this to the US, you are defending US’ attack on our sovereignty! Tum kitne mein bike ho (How muc