US Wades Into India’s Domestic Politics, Borrows From Rahul Ghandi's 'Adani-Ambani' Rhetoric To Attack PM Modi

A deeply frustrated Trump administration, upset by India’s defiance on both Russian oil purchases and its reluctance to offer trade concessions, has begun wading into India’s domestic politics.

US officials are now echoing Rahul Gandhi’s “Adani-Ambani” rhetoric, signaling an unusually personal turn in their approach toward PM Modi.

The sharpest example comes from Peter Navarro, President Trump’s trade and manufacturing advisor, in a recent Financial Times opinion piece.

Navarro criticised India for importing discounted Russian crude, refining it, and exporting the products globally, arguing that this indirectly supports Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.

Following Navarro, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reinforced the criticism in an interview with CNBC. Bessent highlighted that Russian oil now accounts for 42 per cent of India’s total imports, up from less than 1 per cent before the Ukraine war, and accused India of engaging in “arbitrage,” buying cheap Russian oil and reselling it abroad for profit.

He further noted that the gains from this trade were benefiting India’s richest families, implying that politically connected business groups were profiting from the government’s policies. Bessent contrasted India with China, asserting that Beijing had not engaged in such profiteering, and called India’s actions “unacceptable.”

The interventions come amid mounting trade tensions. Earlier this month, President Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, bringing the total extra tariffs since he took office to 50 per cent.

Observers say the Trump administration’s increasingly personal focus on India’s leadership signals mounting frustration over New Delhi’s resistance on multiple fronts.