September 6, 2025

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has taken a bold step to clear the air! It rejected Peter Navarro’s recent spicy comments on India, calling them 'inaccurate and misleading.' Navarro, who once advised the Trump White House, sparked a tiff with his sharp words about India. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday, "We have seen the inaccurate and misleading statements made by Mr. Navarro, and obviously reject them." He made it clear that India's relationship with the US is rock solid. Jaiswal shared that the India-US bond is a "comprehensive global strategic partnership" built on common interests, democratic values, and strong people-to-people ties. "This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges," he said, adding that the countries will continue working together in mutual respect. But what exactly did Navarro say to stir the pot? In a fiery Fox News interview, he called India "nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin." He accused Indian refiners of buying cheap crude oil from Russia, processing it, and then selling refined products at high prices abroad. Navarro said, "What happened? Well, the Russian refiners went in and got into bed with big oil India. Putin gives (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi a discount on the crude. They refine it and they ship it to Europe, Africa and Asia at a big premium and they make a ton of money." He even went further by saying "Brahmins are profiteering" off Indian people, trying to justify President Trump's imposition of a 50% tariff on Indian goods. US President Donald Trump added fuel to the fire with a Truth Social post claiming, "We've lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China." Navarro called India the "Maharaja of tariffs," complaining that India exports a lot to the US but blocks American products. Interestingly, Navarro did praise Prime Minister Modi as "a great leader" but questioned, "I don't understand why he is getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping when he's the biggest democracy in the world." On the topic of the Quad Summit and continuing India-US partnerships, Jaiswal affirmed, "We continue to remain engaged with the US side on trade issues... We see the Quad as a valuable forum for discussion among the four member countries on shared interests on several issues." He noted that the leaders' summit is planned carefully through diplomatic talks among members. So, will the India-US friendship survive this spicy drama? MEA is clear – their partnership is strong and hopes to march ahead with respect and shared goals. The drama, however, shows the complex challenges in today’s international arena!

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Tags: India-us relations, Peter navarro, Mea response, India-russia ties, Tariffs, Quad summit,