International Desk – White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro has sparked controversy with remarks linking upcoming US tariffs on India to alleged profiteering by “Brahmins.”
Speaking to Fox News on Monday (September 1, 2025), Navarro accused India of acting as “a laundromat for the Kremlin” and claimed that Indian tariffs some of the highest in the world hurt American workers and taxpayers.
Navarro criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, questioning why the leader of “the biggest democracy in the world” would align with them. “You’ve got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people. We need that to stop,” he said.
His comments came a day after Modi met Xi on the sidelines of the SCO summit, where both leaders noted steady progress in bilateral ties since their last meeting in 2024.
Navarro’s latest statements follow earlier accusations that India’s oil industry profits from cheap Russian crude by refining and exporting fuels under a “pretence of neutrality,” shielding them from sanctions.
The remarks arrive amid President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on Indian goods from August 27, citing India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. India has called such “secondary tariffs” unfair but said progress in peace talks could avert them.
