White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro has stirred controversy after making a caste-based remark while defending former US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports.
In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Navarro accused India of enabling trade imbalances and called it “a laundromat for the Kremlin,” while also alleging that “Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people.”
Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, Navarro described him as a “great leader” but claimed India’s engagement with Russia and China undermines its democratic credentials. “India is the Maharaja of tariffs. They have the highest tariffs in the world… American workers and taxpayers are getting hurt, while Ukrainians are being killed by Russian drones,” he said.
Navarro further questioned Modi’s ties with Moscow and Beijing, adding, “I would just say to the Indian people: please understand what’s going on here. We need that to stop.”
His comments came shortly after PM Modi held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. Both leaders acknowledged the stabilising role of India and China in global trade and reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation.
This is not the first time Navarro has criticised India’s energy and trade policies. Last week, he accused New Delhi of turning into a “refining hub and oil money laundromat for the Kremlin” by processing discounted Russian crude and exporting fuels to global markets.
Trump’s tariff policy itself remains under scrutiny, with a US Appeals Court ruling parts of it “illegal.” Navarro’s remarks have added a fresh layer of controversy, drawing criticism for mixing casteist rhetoric with trade justifications.
