‘Brahmins profiteering: Why is Modi getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping?’ says Trump aide

New Delhi: White House trade advisor Peter Navarro defended the Trump administration’s 50% tariff on Indian goods, warning that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping were “destabilising global order.”

In an interview with Fox News, Navarro accused New Delhi of laundering Russian oil to bankroll Moscow's war in Ukraine, and further alleged that the “Indian Brahmins are profiteering” at the expense of the people of the country.

"So, you know, look, 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. I would just simply say to the Indian people. Please, understand what's going on here. You've got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people. We need that to stop," he added.

He criticised Modi's foreign policy approach while calling him a "great leader", suggesting that India's engagement with Russia and China undermines its status as the world's largest democracy.

"And on top of that, by the way, 25 per cent or 50 per cent is because India is the Maharaja of tariffs. They have the highest tariffs in the world. They won't let us sell to them, so who gets hurt, workers in America, taxpayers in America... Ukrainians in cities are getting killed by Russian drones," the White House Trade Adviser said.

His remarks followed Prime Minister Modi's bilateral engagement with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday, on the sidelines of the SCO leaders' summit, during which both leaders welcomed the positive momentum and steady progress in bilateral relations since their last meeting in Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in October 2024.

 Navarro had earlier criticised New Delhi over its trade with Russia, accusing it of 'funding' Moscow's war in Ukraine.