Congress MP Manickam Tagore moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha on Monday seeking discussion on the reference of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Epstein files released by the US Justice Department.
The reference to Modi and his visit to Israel were reportedly made in an email by sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which was among the 3.5 million files released on Friday.
In the adjournment motion, Manickam Tagore expressed concern over PM Modi's diplomatic engagement mentioned in Epstein's mail, stating that it directly impacts India's international image, moral standing, and constitutional credibility.
"An email dated 9 July 2017, allegedly written by Epstein, refers to meetings involving Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, the US President, and a subsequent official visit to Israel. These claims are now circulating globally, raising serious questions and speculation. This House cannot remain silent when such issues are being debated internationally, and the Government has not provided a clear, categorical, and authoritative explanation," he said.
The Congress leader asked whether the government had verified the authenticity of the communications attributed to Epstein and whether the accused had directly or indirectly ever interacted with the prime minister or the government of India.
India has rejected the reference of Modi in the investigative files related to Epstein, describing it as "little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal".
"Beyond the fact of the prime minister's official visit to Israel in July 2017, the rest of the allusions in the email are little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal, which deserve to be dismissed with the utmost contempt," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
