In Shorts
- India’s Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed references to PM Modi in new Epstein files as baseless opinions from a convicted criminal.
- The MEA clarified that PM Modi’s 2017 visit to Israel was an official diplomatic engagement and nothing more.
- Opposition Congress has demanded answers amid public debate over the released documents.
New Delhi, India — India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has strongly dismissed mentions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the recently released United States Justice Department’s Epstein files, labelling the references as baseless and contemptible.
The controversy erupted after an email linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein surfaced among millions of documents that were made public under a U.S. transparency mandate. The email reportedly made allusions to Mr. Modi’s official trip to Israel in 2017.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed the matter at a press briefing, stating that while Mr. Modi’s July 2017 visit to Israel was a documented and legitimate diplomatic engagement, any other insinuations are “little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal” and should be dismissed outright.
He underscored that the government rejects any unfounded claims or interpretations that extend beyond established facts. The statement urged media and the public to distinguish between official diplomatic records and unverified insinuations emerging in unrelated documents.
The reaction from the MEA has triggered political responses domestically. The opposition Indian National Congress has called on Prime Minister Modi to address the public over the issue, seeking clarification on the nature and context of the reference in the Epstein email. Critics argue that even indirect mentions warrant scrutiny given the sensitivity of the topic.
This rebuttal comes as part of a broader release of records related to Jeffrey Epstein’s network and communications, which includes millions of pages of documents, images, and videos. Authorities in the U.S. have stated that these disclosures aim to increase transparency around Epstein’s criminal activities and associations.
For now, the Government of India has stood firm in its position, urging that only verifiable facts should guide public understanding and that speculative interpretations from controversial files should not be amplified.
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