New Delhi- The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday dismissed comments made by White House Senior Advisor Peter Navarro, calling them “inaccurate and misleading.”
“We have seen the statements by Mr. Navarro and we reject them,” MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly briefing, responding to Navarro’s controversial claim that “Brahmins are profiting,” made while defending US President Donald Trump’s 50% tariff on Indian goods.
Analysts described Navarro’s remarks as “casteist” and “sinister,” sparking strong backlash in India.
Despite the controversy, Jaiswal underlined that India’s relationship with the US remains “very important,” highlighting their comprehensive strategic partnership built on shared democratic values, interests, and strong people-to-people ties.
Earlier this week, Navarro had also criticised India’s foreign policy choices, questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s engagements with Russian and Chinese leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, saying “India needs to be with us, not Russia.”
Reacting to his comments, political economist Edward Price, a former head of Economic Policy at the British Consulate in New York, told IANS that Navarro’s approach was “a shame” and historically tone-deaf. “India has always gone its own way—culturally, politically, and strategically. We shouldn’t be telling India what to do. We should be making it a fair and friendly offer,” he said.
Withinputs from IANS