'Divide & rule principle': Sitharaman dismisses Trump aide's 'brahmins profiteering' remark, slams oppn

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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman slammed the Opposition over its response on the US President Donald Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro over his 'Brahmins profiteering comment', and said, "It is one thing for a foreign government head of state or official to say all of that and the global diplomatic world is astonished that kind of expression is being used against India."

In a scathing attack on the Opposition, Sitharaman said, they are following divide and rule strategy. She said "friends of imperialists are telling us the word Boston Brahmins is not bad," in an exclusive interview to Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi.

Stepping up the attack further, Sitharaman told CNBC-TV18, "Who actually wants us to know better, and are explaining to us. I am outraged, I don’t want such explanations. India quoting those words and colonial justification is not right. Atmanirbhar also includes self respect."

She said, it hurts more when expressions are justified. She continued, "Who wants to know what this means, who wants the explanations...that...Oh, you dirty Indians, you dont know what this colonial team means".

Sitharaman said for Atmanirbharta, we need to ensure our self respect.

She said it hurts when few of us are justifying such remarks by saying, "Oh you Indians, you don't understand."

She asked why they [Opposition] being "part of imperialists" over the meaning of term 'Boston Brahmins'.

"Oh you Indians, you don't understand... This is divide and rule principle of British imperialists and friends of imperialist are telling us you don't know what this means...," she said.

Sitharaman underscored that voice should have rather been that we can take care of ourselves 75 years after Independence.

"I want Indians to say we are free, we will take care of ourselves now that we are 75 years into independence...This should have been the voice," she said.

The finance minister criticized the Opposition and and said, "Saying 'you don't you know what this means' is outrageous."

The controversy over the term ‘Brahmin’ used by Navarro has taken a turn toward what it implies – is it a term for wealthy elites in Boston ‘Boston Brahmins’ or ‘caste’ in the Indian social structure.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro stirred up a controversy with his statement that said that “Brahmins” are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people and it needs to "stop".

Responding to this term, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saket Gokhale said that Navarro is from Boston where the term ‘Brahmin’ is used for someone who is extremely rich.

Gokhale said that the BJP “ecosystem” spokespersons should start reading some real books and called it “classic case of ignorance”.

TMC MP Sagarika Ghose also said that “Boston Brahmin” was once a widely used term in the US to refer to the American New England wealthy elite.

She said that “Brahmin” is still a term used in the English speaking world to denote social or economic “elites” ( in this case the rich), adding that the “illiteracy on X is astonishing”.