Taking a potshot at the US for its remarks over Russia, the Indian Army’s Eastern Command shared 1971 newspaper clippings highlighting America’s support to Pakistan during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. The post comes against the backdrop of mounting US criticism of India’s purchase of crude oil from Russia.
"US Arms Worth $2 Billion Shipped to Pakistan Since '54," the headline says. The news, published a few months before the Indo-Pak War of 1971 that led to the creation of Bangladesh, talks about the role the US had played in arming Pakistan since 1954. The report quotes V C Shukla, then minister for defence production, who had told the Rajya Sabha about the estimated valuation of the arms supplied for that period.
Meanwhile, India on Monday mounted an unusually sharp counterattack on the US and the European Union for their "unjustified and unreasonable" targeting of New Delhi for its procurement of Russian crude oil. India’s response came hours after US President Donald Trump asserted that Washington will substantially raise tariffs on goods from India over its energy ties with Russia.
MEA, in its statement, then highlighted that since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, the US and the EU have "targeted" India for importing oil from Russia.
"Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion," India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said while firmly refuting the criticism and pointing out the double standards of the US and the EU as they continue to have trade with Russia. It is to be noted that the Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy, but also fertilisers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel, and machinery and transport equipment, the MEA added.
"Where the US is concerned, it continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilizers as well as chemicals. In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security," the MEA said.
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