Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Union minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday cautioned against linking the Dalai Lama with the recently released Epstein files. He said that the revered spiritual institution should not be dragged into unrelated controversies to malign its sanctity.In a post on X, Rijiju said, “The revered institution of ‘The Dalai Lama’ should not be casually linked with the ‘Epstein Files’ or any other issues, with the motive of damaging the sacred institution. We shouldn’t become the casualties of immoral-lifestyle, hookup-culture and unconventional-relationships.”Rijiju’s remarks came amid renewed global debate following the latest release of documents related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein by the US Justice Department. The release has brought a fresh set of prominent names into public discussion, including political leaders, business figures and public personalities, triggering widespread scrutiny and speculation.His statement followed a clarification issued by the office of the Dalai Lama, which firmly denied any association with Epstein. Responding to reports suggesting that the Tibetan spiritual leader’s name appeared in the files, the Dalai Lama’s office said there was no basis to such claims.“Some recent media reports and social media posts concerning the ‘Epstein files’ are attempting to link His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Jeffrey Epstein. We can unequivocally confirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or authorised any meeting or interaction with him by anyone on His Holiness’s behalf,” the statement said.The latest tranche of documents, released in late January under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, runs into more than three million pages. It includes over 2,000 videos and around 1,80,000 images, making it the largest and final scheduled disclosure of federal material related to Epstein and his associates.The files have referenced or mentioned several high-profile individuals, including US President Donald Trump, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, billionaire Elon Musk, Britain’s Prince Andrew, former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, musician Michael Jackson and actor Kevin Spacey, among others.Legal experts and victim advocates have repeatedly stressed that being named in the documents does not imply criminal wrongdoing. They highlighted that the material includes a wide range of records such as contact lists, correspondence, travel logs and third-party references, many of which do not establish any involvement in Epstein’s crimes.Epstein was arrested in 2019 on sex-trafficking charges and later died in custody. The document release is part of efforts by US authorities to address sustained public pressure for transparency. Under the Transparency Act, the Justice Department was required to disclose relevant investigative material, with redactions to protect victims and sensitive information.
