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Navarro Slams Modi Over SCO Summit, Sparks Row With ‘Brahmins Profiteering’ Remark

  • By Thetripurapost Web Desk, Washington
  • Sep 02, 2025
  • 28

U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro has reignited tensions with India, criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appearance alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin last week.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, Navarro said it was “a shame” that the leader of the world’s largest democracy shared the stage with “the two biggest authoritarian dictators in the world.” He urged India to “step up” by siding with the United States and Europe in support of Ukraine and halting purchases of Russian oil.

“The road to peace runs at least partly through New Delhi. Modi needs to stop buying oil from Russia and be with us, not with Putin and Xi,” Navarro said.

Controversial Caste Remark

Navarro drew sharp criticism after a separate appearance on Fox News, where he accused “Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people” by reselling refined Russian crude to Western markets. Indian politicians, commentators, and social groups condemned the comment as casteist and culturally insensitive.

Economists and diplomats noted that Navarro may have confused the term with “Boston Brahmins,” a historic U.S. elite class, but the remark nonetheless triggered outrage across India. Opposition leaders called it “sinister and shameful,” while members of the Indian government dismissed it as “uninformed and divisive.”

Pattern of Hostile Rhetoric

This is not Navarro’s first attack on New Delhi. In recent months, he has:

Described the Russia-Ukraine conflict as “Modi’s war.”

Labeled India the “Kremlin’s laundromat.”

Warned India against “getting in bed with authoritarians.”


The Trump administration has coupled rhetoric with punitive measures, imposing 25% reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods and an additional 25% penalty linked to oil purchases from Russia. India has called these tariffs “unjustified and unreasonable,” pledging to protect its national interests.

Wider Context

The Tianjin SCO summit showcased a rare moment of warmth between Modi, Xi, and Putin, underscoring India’s strategic autonomy even as it faces growing Western pressure. For Washington, Modi’s alignment with Moscow and Beijing complicates U.S. efforts to isolate Russia over Ukraine and counterbalance China in Asia.

Meanwhile, Trump’s sweeping global tariffs were recently struck down as unlawful by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, raising further political debate in Washington. Democrats in Congress have urged Speaker Mike Johnson to end Trump’s “national emergency” declaration that enabled the tariff regime.

Outlook

With tariffs biting, diplomatic rhetoric hardening, and global alignments shifting, the U.S.-India relationship faces its most turbulent phase in recent years. While Washington demands India cut ties with Moscow, New Delhi continues to assert that it will act in line with its own energy security and national interests.