Muhammed Ashraf, National General Secretary of the Social Democratic Party of India, strongly condemns Prime Minister Narendra Modi in light of disturbing disclosures from the recently released Jeffrey Epstein files by the United States Department of Justice.

The documents contain deeply troubling claims that raise serious questions about the judgment, integrity, and ethical standards of India’s highest political office. According to the released material, an email attributed to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who built a global network by exploiting vulnerable individuals while cultivating powerful elites, alleges that Prime Minister Modi sought and acted upon Epstein’s advice during his 2017 visit to Israel. The email portrays the Prime Minister’s conduct as a calculated performance aimed at pleasing then United States President Donald Trump, reducing a historic diplomatic engagement to a spectacle shaped by foreign political interests rather than India’s sovereign dignity.

If these claims are accurate, they represent far more than an embarrassment. They point to the disturbing possibility that India’s foreign policy decision making was influenced by a disgraced criminal figure, undermining national autonomy and eroding public trust. Such conduct would mark a serious departure from India’s long standing tradition of independent diplomacy and ethical statecraft.

Equally alarming is the Modi government’s response. Instead of offering a transparent and fact based explanation, the allegations have been summarily dismissed without addressing the specific claims cited in official United States releases. This evasive approach only deepens suspicion and raises concerns about deliberate avoidance of accountability.

The files also indicate repeated interactions between Epstein and senior Indian officials, including reported meetings with Hardeep Singh Puri, a key minister in the Modi cabinet, even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. If confirmed, such engagements reflect a shocking disregard for ethical norms and political responsibility. Further claims that Epstein attempted to facilitate a meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Steve Bannon, a figure associated with far right and divisive ideologies, point to a dangerous willingness to expose India’s leadership to extremist global networks that threaten the country’s secular and democratic foundations.

Taken together, these disclosures constitute a national disgrace. They reveal a pattern of opaque back channel dealings and a troubling contrast between the government’s intolerance of dissent at home and its apparent tolerance for questionable associations abroad, even as minorities, journalists, and activists face increasing intimidation.

Muhammed Ashraf demands an independent and impartial investigation into these allegations. Parliament must act, and the Prime Minister must be held to the highest standards of accountability.