Image is a quite sensitive issue for a person. If the image of a Head of State (or a nation) largely depends on others’ opinion and how they perceive her/him/it, then troubles are inevitable. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is perhaps realising this right now.

At a time when Prime Minister Modi is trying hard to establish himself as a Vishvaguru or World Leader, he has found his place in the scandalous Epstein Files. In his files, Jeffrey Edward Epstein (January 20, 1953 – August 10, 2019), an American financier, child sex offender, serial rapist and human trafficker, reportedly mentioned: “Prime Minister Modi took advice (from him) and danced and sang in Israel for the benefit of the US President. They had met a few weeks ago. IT WORKED!” Since the claim has not been established, it could have been completely ignored or denied.

However, it has become difficult for Indians to ignore the claim as Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Indian Parliament, recently called for an explanation from the government regarding the allegations, terming them a “national shame”. It cannot be said that Rahul Gandhi made a mistake by trying to bring the image-related crisis of Prime Minister Modi to the public’s attention. No leaders of the Opposition let go of such an opportunity to corner a ruler. However, the aggressive manner in which the government prevented him from delivering speech in the Parliament, too, was shameful.

Incidentally, US billionaire Epstein was arrested on charges of sexual offenses in 2008 and released after serving 13 months in prison. He was imprisoned again on July 6, 2019 on federal charges for the sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York. Epstein died in his cell on August 10, 2019. Apparently, a lot of confidential information about various public figures, politicians, celebrities and powerful individuals have been revealed since all his files, a collection of millions of documents, images and videos detailing the (criminal) activities of him and other public figures, were made public in November 2025. Some political, as well as business, leaders of Britain, Australia, Norway, India and the US, including President Donald John Trump, former US President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates and Elon Musk, are also among them.

Although the authenticity of those files is yet to be proven, the Epstein Files, comprising over three million pages, images and videos, have triggered significant international coverage and scrutiny. Based on what has been mentioned about Narendra Modi the Epstein Files, the natural lament of any self-respecting Indian citizen is that it would have been better if even this much had not appeared.

Epstein Files (PDF unfiltered)

On January 31, 2026, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs refuted the claims made on Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Israel in 2017 in the newly released documents on Epstein, dubbing the references as “trashy ruminations of a convicted criminal“. The ministry stressed in a statement that the claims must be “dismissed with the utmost contempt“. As expected, the ministry’s attempt to cover up the matter has failed to impress the citizens of India.

India is already going through a difficult time, with the sensitivity of the relationship between New Delhi and Washington DC intensifying constantly. President Trump’s new announcements (regarding tariffs and other issues) have started creating major challenges for India. In such a scenario, this personal slander and its impact on bilateral relations are detrimental to Indian interests. This is not just a matter of personal crisis, but an issue of national honour.

Meanwhile,

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das