New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday denied claims in newly released emails from the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, which suggested that US President Donald Trump influenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel in 2017. The MEA called the emails “trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal.”
The emails and messages, released by the US government on Friday, mention India, Modi, and a desire to boost US-India engagement. Epstein claimed he would arrange a meeting between Modi and Republican strategist Steve Bannon after the 2019 general election. The emails also show Epstein corresponding with Indian businessman Anil Ambani on these matters.
Epstein linked a Modi-Trump meeting on June 25-26, 2017, to the PM’s Israel visit from July 4-6. He claimed the visit “worked” because Modi had followed advice from the US president.
In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “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 emails form part of around three million pages released by the US Department of Justice, related to Epstein’s investigations into his criminal network and influence operations.
