'Brahmins' profiteering at expense of Indian people: Navarro
New York (PTI): In a new rant against India for its purchases of Russian oil, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has said that “Brahmins” are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people and it needs to "stop".
“Look (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi is a great leader,” Navarro, the Trump administration’s Senior Counsellor for Trade and Manufacturing, said in an interview with Fox News Sunday.
The trade adviser said that he doesn't understand how the Indian leader is cooperating with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping "when he's 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.
Navarro has been consistently targeting India over the last few days following a major downturn in ties between Washington and New Delhi over President Donald Trump's policies on trade and tariffs.
Trump has imposed 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on India and an additional 25 per cent for Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.
India has termed the tariffs imposed on it as “unjustified and unreasonable".
Navarro was asked about China’s purchases of Russian oil and whether the implementation of extra tariffs on India is enough to “choke” Putin.
“Well, let's be clear, we have 50 per cent tariffs now on India, but we also have a little over 50 per cent tariffs on China. So there's a question, how much higher do you want to go without actually hurting ourselves?” he said.
Navarro said that before Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, India didn't buy Russian oil, and its purchases were of very, very small amounts.
“What happened? Well, the Russian refiners went in and got into bed with big oil in India. Putin gives Modi a discount on the crude. They refine it, and they ship it to Europe, Africa and Asia at a big premium, and they make a ton of money,” he said.
“Now, what's wrong with that picture?” Navarro said, adding that this “fuels" the Russian war machine, saying India is “nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin".
Defending its purchase of Russian crude oil, India has been maintaining that its energy procurement is driven by national interest and market dynamics.
Russia has emerged as India's top energy supplier since the West slapped sanctions on its crude oil after the invasion of Ukraine.
“It kills Ukrainians. And what we have to do as taxpayers, we got to send them more money so Ukraine can defend themselves. And on top of that, by the way, the 25 per cent of the 50 per cent is because India is the ‘maharaja’ of tariffs," Navarro alleged.
"They have the highest tariffs in the world. So they export us a bunch of stuff, (and) they won't let us sell to them. So who gets hurt? Workers in America, taxpayers in America, Ukrainians in cities getting killed by Russian drones,” he claimed.
Navarro has previously described the Ukraine conflict as “Modi’s war” and said the “road to peace” runs partly “right through New Delhi”.
The US has refrained from criticising China, the largest importer of Russian crude oil.
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Bill to regulate deepfakes tabled in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): A Private Member's Bill seeking a clear legal framework for regulation of deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, introduced by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to protect citizens by mandating prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake content.
"Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards," Shinde said.
The Bill also lists penalties for offenders creating or disseminating deepfake content with malicious intent.
"With advancements in artificial intelligence and deep learning, deepfake technology has emerged as a significant tool for media manipulation. While the technology has potential applications in education, entertainment and creative fields, it also poses severe risks when misused, threatening individual privacy, national security and public trust," Shinde said in the statement of objects and reasons in the Bill.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a clear legal framework to govern the creation, distribution and application of deepfakes in India, said Shinde, a three-term Lok Sabha member from Kalyan.
The Bill also seeks to establish the Deepfake Task Force, a dedicated body to combat national security implications and evaluate the influence of deepfakes on privacy, civic participation, and potential election interference.
The task force will collaborate with academic and private sector institutions to develop technologies that detect manipulated content, thereby promoting credibility in digital media.
The Bill also proposes to establish a fund to support public and private sector initiatives in the detection and deterrence of advanced image manipulation.
A Private Member's Bill is a procedure of Parliament that enables lawmakers, who are not ministers, to draw attention to issues that might not be represented in Government Bills or to highlight the issues and gaps in the existing legal framework that require legislative intervention.
