India declines comment on Trump's remarks, slams Navarro on 'Brahmin profiteering'

TAKEAWAYS >> External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called Navarro's recent criticism "inaccurate and misleading" and rejected it >> Jaiswal reaffirmed India-US comprehensive strategic partnership, citing shared interests, democratic values, and people-to-people ties

- OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: India on Friday chose not to respond to US President Donald Trump's recent social media comments suggesting that New Delhi is moving closer to Beijing, while firmly rejecting accusations by White House trade adviser Peter Navarro regarding India's procurement of Russian crude oil.

"Looks like we have lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!," Trump had posted online, days after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping met, attracting global attention.

At a media briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal declined to comment on the US president's statement. "I have no comments to offer on this post at this time," he said.