Kamal Haasan penned an open letter to US President Donald Trump, telling him to mind his ‘own business’. The actor-politician said that India is a free nation which no longer takes ‘orders’. This statement comes after the United States on Friday announced it was granting a 30-day “temporary” waiver to Indian refineries to continue their purchase of Russian energy.
What Kamal Haasan said
Taking to his X account on Saturday evening, Kamal penned an open letter to Donald Trump. It read:
“To
The President of the United States of America @POTUS
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. Mutual respect between sovereign nations is the only foundation of lasting global peace.
We wish your country and its people peace and prosperity.
Kamal Haasan – A Proud Indian Citizen
Founder, Makkal Needhi Maiam.”
About the 30-day waiver for India
Meanwhile, the ‘temporary’ waiver to Indian refineries comes amid concerns of a spike in energy prices due to the ongoing conflict between Iran and the US-Israel that has also spilt over to other Gulf nations. The 30-day waiver for India was announced earlier by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “India is an essential partner of the United States, and we fully anticipate that New Delhi will ramp up purchases of US oil,” the Treasury Secretary wrote on X.
The announcement came weeks after the US said India had committed to halting purchases of Russian crude, a claim yet to be acknowledged by Indian authorities. Last month, Russia dismissed indications of India scaling back on its purchase of oil from Moscow and said it had no reason to believe that would happen. “India’s purchase of Russian hydrocarbons benefits both countries and helps maintain stability in the international energy market,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, killing the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since then, the conflict has escalated and engulfed the entire West Asia.
Iranian retaliatory attacks have forced the closure of several oil and gas fields in the region. The Strait of Hormuz, which is the route for one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, is effectively closed due to security threats. This has made oil prices shoot up, so the US needed to step in.