Hundreds of protesters gathered in India’s capital on Tuesday after media reports and a fresh release of United States (US) court documents allegedly linked Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s name to communications connected with the Jeffrey Epstein case, triggering political backlash and demands for clarification from the government.
Members of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) assembled at Jantar Mantar, a key protest venue in central New Delhi, calling on the PM to publicly address the controversy.
Demonstrators held placards, chanted slogans and accused the government of maintaining silence over an issue they said could damage India’s global standing.
“We want answers. The silence from the Prime Minister’s Office is unacceptable,” a Youth Congress organiser said at the rally, videos circulating on social media showed.
The protests followed the publication of a large tranche of documents related to the late US financier Epstein, who was convicted of soliciting prostitution and died in a New York jail in 2019.
The newly released files reportedly contain names and communications involving prominent political and business figures from multiple countries. However, individuals named in the documents have not been charged with crimes linked to Epstein’s activities.
In India, the development quickly took on a political dimension. Youth Congress leaders accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to downplay the matter and demanded an independent inquiry.
Mumbai Youth Congress President Zeenat Shabrin said the allegations were harming the country’s international image and argued that Modi should step down if he fails to provide a satisfactory explanation.
The Prime Minister’s Office has not issued a direct response to the claims. Government representatives, however, have dismissed the controversy as politically motivated and based on what they describe as misinterpretations of publicly released documents.