'Brahmins profiting at the expense of the Indian people”

HinduPACT’s American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD), a Hindu advocacy group, on Tuesday (September 2, 2025) demanded the dismissal US Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy for criticizing ‘Brahmins’ in an interview and for using an image of Modi draped in saffron in a post on his X handle.  

The call was issued against Peter Navarro for making what the group described as a “deeply inappropriate and Hinduphobic reference to caste, along with his portrayal of India’s Prime Minister in a sacred act of Hindu prayer.

“Navarro’s rhetoric constitutes not only a cultural violation but also a reckless provocation that endangers the dignity of over a billion Hindus and threatens the foundational relationship between the two largest democracies,” HinduPACT’s American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD) group said in a press release.

The group criticized Peter Navarro for his recent comment against India, saying, “Navarro’s comment, accusing 'Brahmins profiting at the expense of the Indian people,” is not a critique; it’s a colonial-era trope recycled to divide Hindu society and depict India as inherently unjust. Using caste rhetoric to pressure a democratically is beneath the diplomatic dignity of the United States.”

Ajay Shah, Executive Chair of HinduPACT said, “This is not foreign policy. It’s weaponized Hinduphobia,” adding, “Dividing Hindus through colonial scripts doesn’t build relationships. It destroys them. People like Navarro have no place in American political life.”

Calling out Navarro for using an image of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post of his, the group said, “Navarro also circulated an image of India’s Prime Minister meditating in saffron robes; a sacred Hindu practice rooted in dharma. The implication was clear: ridicule Hindu spirituality while pushing economic pressure.”

Deepti Mahajan, President of HinduPACT questioned the motive behind using such an image of the prime minister of India, saying, “Saffron is sacred. Prayer is not propaganda. What exactly was Navarro trying to say by using that image?”

“If the target was the Hindu faith, that’s religious hostility. If the target was India’s leadership, that’s diplomatic recklessness. Either way, it’s a serious violation,” Deepti Mahajan, President of HinduPACT added.

While highlighting possible consequences of using caste slurs, the group said, “Navarro’s language empowers the worst elements of public discourse. Caste slurs and attacks on Hindu symbols don’t stay in policy papers. They show up in classrooms, in hiring panels, in temple vandalism.”

“When someone like Navarro uses caste to shame India, it lands on Hindus here,” said Deepa Karthik, General Secretary of HinduPACT.

“Kids get bullied. Workers get profiled. We get treated like we owe the world an apology for our heritage,” he added.

In a clear message to the white house, the group demanded for the immediate firing of Peter Navarro.

“His language encourages division. His symbolism targets religion. His politics poison one of America’s most natural global partnerships.

If Hindu hate and Hindu ridicule are tolerated inside US policy circles, it tells over five million Hindus in this country, and over a billion in India, that their identity is negotiable. This is not who we are. And it cannot be allowed to stand,” it said.

About AHAD (American Hindus Against Defamation): AHAD established in 1997, is dedicated to combating Hinduphobia and the denigration of Hindu scriptures, deities, icons, and cultural symbols across publications, mass media, and educational materials globally. AHAD leverages innovative AI methods to detect and counter Hindu hatred and ensure the sanctity of Hindu heritage, according to the information available on its website.

About HinduPACT: Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT) is dedicated to the advocacy and policy research of issues concerning the American Hindu community.

HinduPACT promotes human rights, voter education, and policies affecting American Hindus, aiming for peace and understanding through informed policy initiatives and grassroots advocacy, according to the information available on its website.

Peter Navarro remarks against ‘Brahmins’

Peter Navarro, Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing to the white house, recently, while speaking against India for its purchases of Russian oil, said that “Brahmins” are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people and it needs to "stop".

He made the remarks in an interview with Fox News.

He said that ‘Modi is a great leader’ however, he stated he does not understand how Modi is cooperating with Russia, even after being the biggest democracy in the world.

“So I would just simply say, the Indian people, please understand what's going on here. You got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people. We need that to stop,” Navarro said.

Peter Navarro’s Series Of Posts Criticizing India For Its Purchases Of Oil From Russia And India US Trade Deficit

On August 29, Peter Navarro, Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, made a series of posts on X criticizing India for its purchases of oil from Russia and for India’s alleged ‘unfair trade’.

He said in the first post, “President Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian imports are now in effect. This isn’t just about India’s unfair trade—it’s about cutting off the financial lifeline India has extended to Putin’s war machine.’

He accused India of using US’s dollars to buy ‘discounted Russian crude’

He said, “Here’s how the India-Russia oil mathematics works: American consumers buy Indian goods while India keeps out U.S. exports through high tariffs and non-tariff barriers.

India uses our dollars to buy discounted Russian crude.”

“Indian refiners, with their silent Russian partners, refine and flip the black-market oil for big profits on the international market – while Russia pockets hard currency to fund its war on Ukraine,” Peter said in a subsequent post.

“India’s Big Oil lobby has turned the largest democracy in the world into a massive refining hub and oil money laundromat for the Kremlin,” he alleged, adding, “Indian refiners buy cheap Russian oil, process it, and export fuels to Europe, Africa, and Asia—shielded from sanctions under the pretense of neutrality.”

He made several more posts. Posts are still there on his X handle.

In his final post against India that day, he used an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi draped in a saffron-colored cloth and sitting cross-legged position.

 (For more news apart from “Hindu Group Demands Removal of US Trade Advisor for Criticizing ‘Brahmins’, Using Modi’s Image,” stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.)