Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched a strong attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after his name was mentioned in Parliament in relation to documents linked to US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In an interview, Puri said Gandhi showed a “lack of maturity” and accused him of indulging in “politics by innuendo” instead of informed debate.
Puri clarified that his name appeared in only two emails among nearly three million publicly released documents. He explained that during his tenure as India’s Ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2017, he met Epstein four times in an official capacity related to his work with the Independent Commission for Multilateralism. He said he met hundreds of individuals annually as part of his diplomatic responsibilities.
The minister rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing, stating that the interactions were professional and related to discussions on investment opportunities and international initiatives. He also criticised Gandhi’s remarks on India’s trade deal with the United States, calling them baseless and politically motivated. Puri maintained that Parliament should be a forum for serious and informed discussion rather than allegations without research.
