New Delhi

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday strongly criticised Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his allegations surrounding the Epstein Files. Gandhi had sought to drag in PM Modi and Minister Hardeep Singh Puri over alleged references to them in the files.

Speaking to ANI, Rijiju said the Lok Sabha LoP's claims are "without truth and basis".

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister asked the opposition to substantiate their allegations, or else this conduct would cause "despair and dissapointment".

"First, consider why Rahul Gandhi's followers do not take this seriously: he speaks without truth. If the Prime Minister met someone, or if documents exist, present them. They are forcibly taking the Prime Minister's name without basis. This causes despair and disappointment," he said.

He also questioned Gandhi's conduct in Parliament, stating, "Rahul Gandhi is speaking without meaning in the Lok Sabha. If you are an Opposition leader, are you above the rules?"

Rijiju further claimed that a "15-20% left ecosystem" in India opposes nationalism and perceives India's defence, security, and religious identity as problematic. He alleged that Rahul Gandhi is receiving support from this segment rather than the wider public.

"No one sets an agenda; Rahul Gandhi seems to operate within his own ecosystem. There is a 15-20% segment in the country that opposes the idea of nationalism. They question India's need for a defence force, its future security, and even its religious identity. This group treats these issues as major concerns within their own echo chamber. Rahul Gandhi may believe he is receiving widespread applause, but in reality, the only support he is seeing comes from this limited segment, not from the broader population," Rijiju added.

The remarks came after Rahul, on Wednesday, claimed he had verified information linking Puri and industrialist Anil Ambani to the Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice.

Addressing reporters, the Rae Bareli MP questioned why Ambani, whose name reportedly appeared in the Epstein-related files, has not been jailed. "I have said that I will authenticate the data I have. There are Department of Justice files on Epstein naming Hardeep Puri and Anil Ambani."

He further claimed that there was pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the India-US nuclear deal and criticised the government's handling of sensitive issues.

Responding to this, Union Minister Hardeep Puri dismissed Gandhi's claims as "elements of buffoonery" with "entertainment value." He clarified that any contact with Epstein was strictly official during his eight-year tenure as India's Ambassador to the UN and bore no connection to sexual abuse allegations.

The controversy triggered protests by Opposition MPs outside the Makar Dwar in the Parliament House complex on Friday, where placards were displayed demanding Puri's resignation.

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Earlier on January 31, the Ministry of External Affairs had dismissed references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Epstein files, calling them "trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal."

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had 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."