'Inaccurate, Misleading': MEA Slams Peter Navarro's 'Anti-Brahmins' Remarks

New Delhi: India has strongly dismissed remarks made by Peter Navarro, Senior Counsellor for Trade and Manufacturing to US President Donald Trump, over New Delhi’s energy ties with Moscow. The controversy arose after Navarro claimed that “Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people” in connection with India’s purchase of discounted crude oil from Russia.

Responding to these allegations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described his assertions as both “inaccurate and misleading.” At the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have seen the inaccurate and misleading statements made by Mr. Navarro and obviously we reject them.”  

Is Trump Stoking a Brahmin Divide in India? Peter Navarro’s Remarks Under Scrutiny

Navarro, who serves as President Trump’s trade adviser, recently sharpened his criticism of India by targeting the country’s Brahmin community, accusing them of reaping undue profits from Russian oil deals. He made the comments while defending Washington’s decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports.

During an interview on Fox News, Navarro argued that Indian refiners were gaining massive margins by purchasing Russian oil at discounted prices and reselling the processed fuel to global markets. He has consistently accused India of indirectly supporting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine by engaging in these oil transactions.

According to Navarro, India has been redirecting Russian crude after refining it to destinations across Europe, Africa, and Asia, earning significant profits in the process. His remarks came just hours after the US announced a punitive tariff on Indian goods. In a sharp escalation of rhetoric, he controversially referred to the Russia-Ukraine conflict as “Modi’s war.”

Reiterating his point in the Fox News interview, Navarro claimed India’s energy engagement with Russia was negligible before the Ukraine conflict. “Before Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, India barely bought Russian oil, very small amounts. What happened? Russian refiners partnered with big oil in India. Putin gives Modi a discount, they refine it, and then ship it to Europe, Africa, and Asia at a big premium. They make a ton of money,” he alleged.

Navarro also questioned India’s growing closeness with Russia and China, saying he could not understand New Delhi’s strategic choices. “India is the maharaja of tariffs. They have the highest tariffs in the world. They export a bunch of goods to us. So who suffers? American workers, taxpayers, Ukrainians,” he said.

While acknowledging Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great leader,” Navarro said he failed to see why India was strengthening its partnerships with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “I don’t understand why he’s getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping when he’s the leader of the biggest democracy in the world… Please understand what’s going on here,” he remarked.

The US trade adviser went further, accusing India’s Brahmin community of exploiting the situation. “I would simply say this to the Indian people to understand what is going on here. You have got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people, and we want that to stop,” he asserted.

India, however, has consistently pushed back against these allegations. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, while addressing the issue on August 23, made it clear that New Delhi would not be pressured over its oil imports. “If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don’t buy it. Nobody forces you to buy it. But Europe buys, America buys—so if you don’t like it, don’t buy it,” Jaishankar stated firmly.

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