Washington’s trade tensions with New Delhi took a dramatic turn on Monday after White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro launched a scathing attack, defending US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on Indian imports. In a fiery interview with Fox News, Navarro not only accused India of skewing global trade in its favour but also stirred controversy with caste-based remarks, alleging that “Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people.”

Describing India as “nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin,” Navarro alleged that New Delhi’s oil trade with Moscow was undermining US sanctions and hurting American workers. He charged that Indian refiners were “buying cheap Russian oil, refining it, and exporting fuels under the guise of neutrality,” effectively shielding Moscow’s war chest.

The sharp comments came just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO Summit in Tianjin. The two leaders, in their first meeting since October 2024, spoke of “positive momentum and steady progress” in bilateral ties — remarks Navarro derided as proof of India’s growing tilt towards Russia and China.

Navarro, however, stopped short of personally attacking Modi, calling him a “great leader” but questioning his choices: “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,” he said. He further claimed India’s high tariff walls — which he branded as “Maharaja tariffs” — were shutting out American businesses and costing US taxpayers dearly.

His rhetoric was laced with warnings: “Workers in America are hurting, taxpayers are hurting… and Ukrainians are getting killed by Russian drones. Meanwhile, India plays both sides.”

Navarro’s broadside followed a string of previous attacks on India’s energy strategy. Just last week, he had accused New Delhi of turning itself into a “massive refining hub and oil money laundromat for the Kremlin.”