India’s opposition Congress party on Friday demanded an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a party leader claimed that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had mentioned the prime minister in a document linked to the so-called Epstein files.

Congress leader Pawan Khera alleged that an email attributed to Epstein stated Modi had taken his “advice” before a 2017 visit to Israel and had “danced and sang… for the benefit of the US president,” concluding with the phrase “IT WORKED!”.

Khera described the allegation as a matter of “national shame” and said it raised serious questions about judgment, transparency and diplomatic propriety.

In a post on social media platform X, Khera said the reference suggested an “unexplained association” between the prime minister and Epstein, and claimed the issue affected India’s national dignity and international reputation.

He urged the prime minister to clarify what advice was allegedly sought, what was meant by acting “for the benefit of the US president,” and what the phrase “IT WORKED!” implied.

Khera linked the claim to documents he said were hosted on the US Department of Justice website and asserted that the email was written days after Modi’s Israel visit from July 4 to 6, 2017.

He also alleged that Modi had met then US president Donald Trump shortly before the Israel trip.

Epstein, a former financier with ties to prominent figures, died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.

His name has appeared in multiple documents and court filings released in recent years. The presence of a name in such records does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing.

The Congress party said it would continue to press for answers, while urging authorities to clarify the authenticity and context of the cited material.