Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: India has strongly pushed back against controversial comments by White House trade advisor Peter Navarro, who alleged that “Brahmins are profiteering” at the expense of ordinary Indians to justify US President Donald Trump’s recent 50% tariff hike on Indian goods.
MEA’s Strong Rebuttal
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed Navarro’s remarks, stating, “We have seen the inaccurate and misleading statements made by Mr. Navarro and obviously, we reject them.” He underscored that the India-US relationship is of great importance and rests on “shared interests, democratic values, and robust people-to-people ties.”
Jaiswal further noted that the bilateral partnership has withstood challenges and transitions, with both sides continuing to advance a substantive agenda. He highlighted ongoing joint military exercises in Alaska and recent 2+2 inter-sessional meetings, reaffirming India’s commitment to strengthening ties with Washington.
Navarro’s Controversial Claims
Navarro has frequently criticised India over its purchases of discounted Russian crude oil, accusing New Delhi of reselling refined products to Europe, Africa, and Asia at large profits. In a Fox News interview, he controversially labelled India a “laundromat for the Kremlin” and went as far as calling the Russia-Ukraine war “Modi’s war.”
He also questioned India’s growing partnerships with Moscow and Beijing, while controversially alleging, “The Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people. We need that to stop.”
India’s Position
The MEA spokesperson stressed that India-US ties remain strategic and comprehensive, pointing to deep cooperation across defence, trade, and technology. Jaiswal expressed confidence that the partnership would continue to grow “based on mutual respect and shared interests.”
