White House trade advisor Peter Navarro, who is seen as a fierce critic of India, recently defended President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 50 percent tariffs, and targeted New Delhi by stating that “Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people.”
“Modi’s a great leader… But 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,” he told Fox News during an interview.
“I want people to understand what’s happening. Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people,” he said.
The remark drew sharp criticism from Indian opposition leaders.
Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote on X: “Peter Navarro’s invocation of a particular caste identity in India to make his point, even if it is to imply the ‘privileged lot’ vis-à-vis the rest, is shameful and sinister.”
She further said: “The usage of the word Brahmin (yes, elite Boston Brahmins — US context, am aware) by someone senior in US Administration cannot come out of the blue in India’s context, this was deliberate. So please sit out on explaining this one.”
Explaining the American context of the word used by the US trade advisor, TMC MP Sagarika Ghoshe said: “‘Boston Brahmin’ was once a widely used term in the US to refer to the American New England wealthy elite. ‘Brahmin’ is still a term used in the English-speaking world to denote social or economic ‘elites’ (in this case, the rich). The illiteracy on X is astonishing.”
Her remark, however, invited counter-opinions, with many accusing her of defending his statement.
The US trade advisor made the ‘Brahmin’ remark at a time when Indian PM Narendra Modi visited China after a gap of seven years to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Showing signs of solidarity amid deteriorating ties with the US following the imposition of tariffs, Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin.
India–US bilateral ties witnessed deterioration after the Trump administration imposed a massive 50 percent tariff on India.
Previously viewed as India-friendly, the Trump administration slapped a 25 percent tariff on the South Asian country for its high tariffs on American exports, and another 25 percent for purchasing oil from Russia, which is fighting a war against Ukraine.
In a strong display of diplomatic optics, PM Modi on Monday took a car ride with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin after the SCO meet in Tianjin.
The premiers of the two countries headed for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit.
The Prime Minister shared a clip with Putin on X and wrote, “After the proceedings at the SCO Summit venue, President Putin and I travelled together to the venue of our bilateral meeting. Conversations with him are always insightful.”
Pictures and videos of Modi’s candid moments with Putin and China’s Xi Jinping went viral on social media.
The US argues that the purchase of oil is fuelling money into the Russian economy amid Moscow’s war with Ukraine.
Since the conflict in Ukraine began in early 2022, India has significantly increased its imports of discounted Russian crude oil — now comprising over 30 percent of its total crude imports.
In response, the US proposed tariffs and trade measures targeting India’s exports to discourage this behaviour.
