"Inaccurate, Misleading": India On Trump Adviser Peter Navarro's Recent Remarks

Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal clarified that India rejects the "inaccurate and misleading" comments made by US President Donald Trump's senior trade advisor Peter Navarro.

"We have seen inaccurate and misleading statements made by Mr Navarro. Obviously, we reject them", he said.

Since Trump returned to office, Navarro has made multiple attacks on India regarding the latter's trade and foreign policies, which has lead to increased tensions between the US and India.

❗️ India ‘Obviously Rejects the Inaccurate & Misleading Statements Made by Mr. Navarro' – MEA https://t.co/fPNiGgJdJl pic.twitter.com/YEA6IOvtl1

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) September 5, 2025

"Modi's War"

Just hours after Trump's punitive 50 per cent tariffs on India had come into effect, Navarro had labelled the Russia-Ukraine conflict as "Modi's war". He claimed that it was because of New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil that Moscow's military aggression was being fuelled. He also pressured India to stop buying oil from Russia, stating that New Delhi could see a 25 per cent reduction in tariffs if it stops buying discounted crude from Moscow.

"Laundromat For Kremlin"

Navarro has also accused India of running a "profiteering scheme" by continuing to import Russian oil and labelled India the "Maharaj" of tariffs. He claimed that India virtually bought no oil from Moscow before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and now the purchase has shot up to 35 per cent. "They don't need the oil. It's a refining profit-sharing scheme. It's a laundromat for the Kremlin. That's the reality of that", he said.

"Brahmins Profiteering"

Navarro also made a casteist remark when he slammed the country's elite for profiteering "at the expense of Indian people." "India is nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin...You got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people. We need that to stop," Navarro said, alleging that Indian refiners were buying discounted Russian crude, processing it, and exporting it at a premium. 

"India Getting In Bed With China, Russia"

Trump's advisor also slammed India's trade ties Russia, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit a "shame." 

"It is a shame to see [PM] Modi getting in bed with Xi Jinping and Putin. I'm not sure what he's thinking. We hope he comes around to seeing that he needs to be with us and not Russia," he said.

India has criticised US' actions as "unjustified" and defended its purchase of Russian oil saying that it was necessary to keep energy prices low and stabilise its domestic market.