New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has strongly dismissed reports referencing Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection to the recently released Jeffrey Epstein files. The MEA characterized the references as "trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal" and asserted that they "deserve to be dismissed with the utmost contempt".

The controversy stems from an email included in the latest batch of documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The released documents consist of more than three million pages of records, along with over 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. These documents were released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, following months of political and public pressure to disclose material that was previously withheld.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed the issue, stating, "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". He further added, "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".

The email in question was sent by Epstein on July 6, 2017, to an individual identified as "Jabor Y.". In the email, Epstein offered advice regarding how Qatar should respond to regional tensions. The reference to Modi appeared as point number 8, stating: "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". The identity of "Jabor Y." remains unclear.

The MEA's strong response followed an attack from the opposition Congress party. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera described the situation as a "matter of national shame" in a tweet on Saturday. Khera alluded to the email, suggesting Modi took Epstein's advice, and demanded answers regarding the alleged advice and its purpose.

Jeffrey Epstein died in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide. The release of the Epstein files has brought renewed attention to his interactions with numerous wealthy and influential figures.