The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday clarified that PM Narendra Modi had been mentioned in the infamous files of late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but only because of his official visit to Israel in July 2017.
According to MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, all other allusions to PM Modi's name in the Epstein files email circulating in media reports were "little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal".
Statement by the Official Spokesperson to clarify certain reports:
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) January 31, 2026
We have seen reports of an email message from the so-called Epstein files that has a reference to the Prime Minister and his visit to Israel. Beyond the fact of the Prime Minister’s official visit to Israel in… pic.twitter.com/ZOZSwE1AZA
"(The rumours) deserve to be dismissed with the utmost contempt," he added.
This comes a day after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) released a tranche containing millions of files related to Epstein. This was the largest such disclosure by the US government since a 2025 law that directed that the files be made public.
Newly released Epstein files name several high-profile figures, including Prince Andrew, Elon Musk, and Peter Mandelson. The documents suggest Prince Andrew invited Jeffrey Epstein to visit him at Buckingham Palace in September 2010.
— THE WEEK (@TheWeekLive) January 31, 2026
(Elon Musk, Peter Mandelson, Epstein files,… pic.twitter.com/FABgW1xNLQ
Former British royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, US President Donald Trump, billionaire Elon Musk, and Trump's commerce secretary Howard Lutnick were the most prominent names in the latest set of files.
Despite the clarification from the MEA, PM Modi's mention in the Epstein files sparked massive online backlash, with the Congress posting a screenshot of the email in question and attacking him in an X post.
Extremely shameful!!
— Congress (@INCIndia) January 31, 2026
Narendra Modi’s name has surfaced in the Epstein files. America’s serial rapist, child sex offender, and human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein wrote in an email on July 9, 2017: 👇
“The Indian Prime Minister Modi took advice and danced and sang in Israel for… pic.twitter.com/TTkO2Z7Sfi
“The Indian Prime Minister Modi took advice and danced and sang in Israel for the benefit of the US President. They had met a few weeks ago. IT WORKED!” Epstein had allegedly said in the email.
"PM Modi, the nation wants to know: What is your relationship with Jeffrey Epstein? Congress questioned in its post.
However, amid the backlash, some netizens also added community notes under Congress's post, claiming that there was no credible evidence to corroborate any direct official or personal contact between Epstein and Modi.
No, the specific email quoted in the post does not appear in the released Epstein files. Reports show Epstein discussed facilitating a Modi-Bannon meeting in 2019 and referenced Modi's trips in 2017 as part of an "Israel strategy," but there's no evidence of direct advice or the…
— Grok (@grok) January 31, 2026
"Reports show Epstein discussed facilitating a Modi-Bannon meeting in 2019 and referenced Modi's trips in 2017 as part of an 'Israel strategy'," claimed xAI's AI assistant, Grok, in response to user queries of whether the rumours were true.
