'Spreading Misinformation': BJP Hits Back At Congress Over PM Modi Reference In Epstein Files

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the Congress party of spreading misinformation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by 'twisting' a generic email fragment of investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein into a political smear. The saffron party asserted that there is 'zero evidence' of any direct or indirect interaction between the two.

This came after the Congress posted on X the purported e-mail with its link to the US Department of Justice website, alleging that PM Modi's name has surfaced in the Epstein files and demanding a clarification from the prime minister.

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Terming the Congress's post on X a "fraud", BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra accused the opposition party of sharing the document after editing its content to malign the prime minister's image and dent India's reputation before the world.

"The Congress added the words, 'his advice' in Jeffrey Epstein's email by editing it to portray as if Prime Minister Modi took some advice from him. These words were not in the (original) email. Congress added these words by fraudulently editing the email," Patra charged.

India rejects reference to PM Modi

"There will be consequences of such fraud. Such kind of 420 (cheating) is taken into cognizance and punished," he added.

The people of the country will give a befitting reply to the Congress for its attempt to malign the prime minister's image through such a "fabricated" social media post, Patra said.

On 31 January, India rejected the reference to PM Modi in the investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein, describing it as "little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal" that deserves to be dismissed with the "utmost contempt".

Also Read | India categorically rejects reference to PM in Epstein investigative files

The latest files relating to the convicted sex trafficker were released by US authorities.

"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," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.

Fake News: Malviya

BJP leader Amit Malviya flagged the opposition party's post on X as "fake news".

"The Congress's sensational claim that Jeffrey Epstein wrote about Prime Minister Narendra Modi allegedly taking his 'advice' to 'dance and sing' in Israel for the benefit of a US President is a gross distortion of the facts," Malviya, the BJP's IT department head, said in a post on the microblogging website.

He said none of the Epstein documents released by the US House Oversight Committee indicate that Modi had ever sought, received, or acted on Epstein's personal advice on "dancing and singing or anything else", nor do they show any contact between the two.

"Verified records contain no reference to Epstein's 'advice', no mention of dancing or singing, and no statement claiming 'IT WORKED!'," Malviya said, alleging that "these details are entirely fabricated" and being pushed by the Congress to "manufacture outrage".

Independent fact-checks confirm that there is zero evidence of any direct or indirect interaction or advisory role between Modi and Epstein, he added.

The BJP leader said Modi's 2017 visit to Israel was a landmark diplomatic engagement centred on defence, technology and trade, with routine cultural courtesies typical of state visits, not some "imagined Epstein-linked scheme".

"Congress's post twists a generic email fragment into a political smear, conveniently ignoring the well-established fact that Epstein was a habitual name-dropper who exaggerated connections to project influence," he charged.

Malviya said the opposition, especially the Congress, "may amplify such misinformation for political mileage", but facts eventually catch up.

"If there is any 'national shame', it lies in spreading half-truths to undermine India's leadership," he said, hitting back at the Congress for describing the reference to Modi's name in the purported document relating to the Epstein files as "extremely shameful".

"Demand evidence, not propaganda. The documents simply do not support these wild allegations or this fake narrative," he added

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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also strongly rejected a reference to the prime minister in the investigative files related to Epstein, describing it as "little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal" that deserve to be dismissed with the "utmost contempt".

In a post on X, Congress leader Pawan Khera said, "It is a matter of national shame that Jeffrey Epstein -- a convicted human trafficker, child sex offender and serial rapist from the USA -- wrote that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his 'advice and danced and sang in Israel for the benefit of the US president. They had met a few weeks ago. IT WORKED!'"

The documents simply do not support these wild allegations or this fake narrative.

This is getting even "more scandalous", Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X, adding, "The PM's silence is unacceptable".

(With agency inputs)

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