Veteran Indian actor and politician Kamal Haasan has taken aim at US President Donald Trump, urging him to “mind his own business” in an open letter shared on his X account, following Washington’s decision to grant a 30‑day waiver allowing Indian refiners to purchase Russian energy.

Kamal Haasan, founder of the regional party Makkal Needhi Maiam, said in the letter that India is a “free and sovereign nation” that “no longer takes orders from distant foreign shores.” He added that mutual respect between sovereign states was essential for lasting global peace, before wishing “peace and prosperity” to the people of the United States.

The strongly worded message came after the US Treasury granted a temporary one‑month waiver permitting Indian refineries to import Russian crude already loaded on tankers, a move intended to help stabilise global energy supplies amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. The waiver runs from early March until early April 2026.

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the measure was short‑term and designed to alleviate supply pressures caused by disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz linked to conflict involving Iran, while stressing that it would not deliver significant financial benefit to the Russian government. He described India as an “essential partner” of the United States.

The waiver follows months of trade friction between New Delhi and Washington over energy imports. Last year the Trump administration imposed punitive tariffs on Indian oil purchases from Russia, which were subsequently lifted after negotiations aimed at boosting US energy exports to India.

India’s government has indicated it will continue to buy Russian oil as it deems fit and does not require approval from any other country to make such commercial decisions.