Peter Navarro, Senior Counsellor for Trade and Manufacturing to US President Donald Trump, has stirred up fresh controversy after lashing out on social media over fact-checks concerning India’s purchase of Russian oil.

In a heated post on X (formerly Twitter) late Saturday (US time), Navarro derided a community note appended to one of his earlier comments, calling it “crap” and alleging that platform owner Elon Musk was letting “propaganda” infiltrate public discourse.

Navarro doubled down on his criticism of New Delhi, stating that India has been buying Russian oil solely for profiteering reasons, and claimed that such revenues were fuelling Moscow’s war machine in Ukraine.

He went as far as to argue that before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, India had not imported Russian oil, insinuating that the country has taken advantage of discounted crude ever since to earn profits at the expense of American jobs and Western efforts in support of Ukraine.

His sharp response came after his remarks were attached to a Washington Post article examining tensions in the Trump administration’s approach towards New Delhi. In the piece, the Post underlined how increasingly hostile rhetoric from certain quarters in Washington risked undermining efforts to rebuild trust with India.

Taking issue with the analysis, Navarro used his X account to frame the matter differently, accusing India of imposing the highest tariffs that cost US workers their jobs, while also labelling India’s Russian oil import strategy as a purely profit-driven move divorced from geopolitical responsibility.

He slammed the American media outlet as “Leftist fake news” and insisted that the facts he presented “cannot be handled” by India or its defenders.

Navarro’s comments triggered an immediate rebuttal from India’s Ministry of External Affairs. In his weekly press briefing on Friday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed Navarro’s assertions, branding them “inaccurate and misleading.”

Jaiswal emphasised that New Delhi categorically rejects such characterisations and that India’s oil import policies are based on its national interest and energy security considerations, rather than the propaganda Navarro insinuated.

The strong rebuttal underscored India’s quiet irritation at repeated mis-characterisations by US political figures, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump continue to project warmth at the highest levels of leadership.

The juxtaposition of Navarro’s inflammatory rhetoric against Trump’s conciliatory remarks revealed striking contrasts within Washington’s approach to India. Only hours before Navarro’s tirade, President Trump had, during an interaction with the media at the White House, expressed optimism about the trajectory of India-US relations.

Answering a question raised by ANI, Trump described bilateral ties as a “very special relationship,” and reaffirmed his personal camaraderie with Prime Minister Modi, saying they would “always be friends” and that there was “nothing to worry about” with regard to India-US ties.

This warm assessment was swiftly reciprocated by Modi, who took to X to echo Trump’s words and highlight the “positive and forward-looking” nature of the Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership between the two nations.

Modi underscored his deep appreciation for Trump’s sentiments, clearly signalling that New Delhi prioritises the broader relationship despite periodic turbulence caused by individual political figures.

This episode highlights the complex dynamics underlying India-US relations in the current environment: while top leadership on both sides continuously extends gestures of goodwill and envisions an ambitious strategic partnership, trade frictions, energy policies, and conflicting narratives on global issues often provide fodder for friction at the second tier of political discourse.

Navarro’s rebuke of India over Russian oil imports and tariffs speaks to the undercurrents of economic nationalism and geopolitical criticism prevalent in sections of the US political establishment.

Yet, the overt dismissal of his remarks by India, coupled with Trump and Modi’s public reassurance of ties, suggest that both capitals remain intent on insulating the larger bilateral partnership from such rhetorical disruptions.

Based On ANI Report