Peter Navarro clashes with X over fact-check on India’s Russian oil purchases
Washington DC: White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has reignited his feud with social media platform X after his posts alleging India’s profiteering from Russian oil were flagged with community notes.
In a series of posts on Sunday (local time), Navarro dismissed the fact-checks as “crap” and accused X of serving “foreign interests” that interfere in U.S. economic and political discourse. He launched a user poll asking whether X should “present this crap,” escalating tensions with the platform.
Navarro, Senior Counsellor for Trade and Manufacturing under U.S. President Donald Trump, had earlier claimed that India’s purchase of Russian oil was motivated purely by profiteering and that New Delhi’s tariffs were costing “American jobs.” His remarks were fact-checked by users on X, pointing out inaccuracies in his claims.
In response, Navarro accused the Indian government of running a “spin machine” and alleged that revenues from Russian oil sales were fueling Moscow’s war effort. “India buys Russia oil solely to profiteer. It didn’t buy any before Russia invaded Ukraine,” he posted.
Despite his strong criticism, Navarro’s own poll appeared to backfire. At the time of reporting, over 60 per cent of respondents voted in favor of X presenting diverse viewpoints, including fact-check notes, undermining Navarro’s stance.
Navarro’s comments also targeted the Washington Post, which had reported on tensions within the Trump administration over its India policy. He accused the newspaper of spreading “fake news,” adding that India’s “highest tariffs cost U.S. jobs” and that Washington’s leniency toward New Delhi was misplaced.
FACTS: India highest tariffs costs U.S. jobs. India buys Russian oil purely to profit/Revenues feed Russia war machine. Ukrainians/Russians die. U.S. taxpayers shell out more. India can't handle truth/spins @washpo
— Peter Navarro (@RealPNavarro) September 5, 2025
Leftist American fake news. QED. https://t.co/9UwdodYBEe
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Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses EC of ‘bias’, defends state guarantee schemes ahead of bypolls
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the EC of "double standards" and "bias" after it sought details on the state’s guarantee schemes in Davanagere and Bagalkot districts, where bypolls are scheduled for Thursday.
In a post on 'X' on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said the Election Commission of India had asked the Karnataka government for information on fund releases under five ongoing guarantee schemes in the constituencies going to polls.
The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, respectively.
The schemes are Gruha Jyothi, which provides 200 units of free electricity to every household; Gruha Lakshmi, offering Rs 2,000 to women heading families; and Anna Bhagya, supplying 10 kg of rice per month to each member of BPL families.
In addition, Yuva Nidhi grants Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders aged 18–25 for two years, while Shakti enables women to travel free of charge within Karnataka on government non-luxury buses.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the ECI had remained silent when similar cash transfer schemes were announced in Maharashtra and Bihar ahead of elections, calling the scrutiny of Karnataka’s schemes a "clear case of bias".
"In states like Maharashtra and Bihar, cash transfer schemes were announced or fast-tracked just before elections, directly benefiting voters. Yet the ECI remained silent. This is not neutrality—it is complicity," he said.
The CM accused the BJP and NDA governments of "a double standard", noting that when they act, the ECI "looks the other way", but when Karnataka fulfils its promises, it faces "intense scrutiny".
He added that targeting the state’s guarantee schemes is "not just political but anti-poor, anti-women, and anti-Karnataka."
Siddaramaiah clarified that these schemes were not launched in connection with the bypolls but are ongoing programmes implemented as part of the Congress government’s commitments from the 2023 Assembly elections.
Funds are transferred regularly to beneficiaries in a transparent and structured manner, he added.
"The guarantees are part of governance—a direct investment in human dignity, household stability, and economic participation, not inducement," he said.
He also accused the BJP of "hypocrisy", saying that while it criticises Karnataka’s schemes as "freebies", it rolls out similar programmes in states it governs.
"The Karnataka model has set a benchmark for the country. What is deeply concerning, however, is the ECI’s selective approach," Siddaramaiah added.
