Navarro attacks Musk again, labels India’s Russian oil “blood money”
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New Delhi: US President Donald Trump’s Trade Advisor Peter Navarro on Monday launched a scathing attack on Elon Musk’s social media platform X and criticised India for purchasing Russian oil, terming it “blood money.”
In a post on X, Navarro claimed that India did not buy Russian oil in large quantities before the Ukraine war and added that the purchases are contributing to the ongoing conflict. “Fact: India didn't buy Russian oil in large quantities before Russia invaded Ukraine. It's blood money and people are dying,” he wrote, using an expletive.
This comes amid a heated exchange between Navarro and Musk on the platform. Navarro had earlier accused India of buying Russian oil “purely to profit” and criticised the Indian government, saying: “Stop killing Ukrainians. Stop taking American jobs.” He also attacked Musk for permitting what he described as “crap notes” on X after his comments were flagged by Community Notes as misleading.
Responding to Navarro’s criticism, Musk said: “On this platform, the people decide the narrative… You hear all sides of an argument. Community Notes corrects everyone, no exceptions. Notes data & code is public source. Grok provides further fact-checking.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed Navarro’s allegations as “inaccurate and misleading statements.”
Navarro had also previously criticised India’s foreign policy, questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interactions with Russian and Chinese leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin. He stated that “India needs to be with us, not Russia.”
Meanwhile, Trump has consistently praised the India-US partnership, describing it as a “very special relationship.” Although he had earlier expressed concern about “losing” India to China, he later clarified: “I’ll always be friends” with Prime Minister Modi. PM Modi reciprocated the sentiment, stating that he fully appreciates and values President Trump’s words.
With IANS inputs