Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has strongly criticized former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro for once again targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India. Her remarks came after Navarro, a close aide of Donald Trump, accused India of fueling the Ukraine war through its purchase of Russian oil and endorsed Trump’s proposed 50% tariffs on Indian imports.
Expressing her frustration on X, Chaturvedi wrote that Navarro seemed to “wake up every day to the same rant about India.” She also fact-checked his claims, pointing out that India was not alone in buying oil from Russia and that other major countries—including some of Washington’s key trading partners—continued similar practices without facing the same level of scrutiny. Although she did not explicitly name China, her comment underscored the double standards often highlighted in US foreign policy discussions.
Chaturvedi also rejected Navarro’s suggestion that the war in Ukraine was “Modi’s war,” firmly asserting that the conflict was not India’s responsibility. India, she stressed, has consistently maintained that its energy purchases are guided by national interest and not partisan narratives abroad.
Her sharp response reflects the growing pushback in India’s political circles against attempts to frame New Delhi’s policies on oil trade and tariffs through the prism of American domestic politics. For Chaturvedi, Navarro’s recurring criticisms not only misrepresent India’s position but also expose the selective targeting of New Delhi while larger global actors escape accountability.
