'Had no interest in Epstein activities': Union minister Hardeep Puri rebuts LoP Rahul Gandhi's charges

Hardeep Singh Puri (File photo)

• Puri denied Rahul Gandhi's allegations of links to Epstein files in Parliament
• Puri claimed meetings with Epstein were professional, not linked to charges.
• Puri criticized Gandhi's baseless claims and questioned his leadership.

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Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday forcefully rejected allegations raised by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi regarding his purported links to the so-called Epstein files. The Congress leader had claimed in Parliament that Puri’s name appeared in records connected to disgraced American financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Puri dismissed the charge and sought to clarify the nature of his contact. “I want to remind you that today, during the Parliament session, my name was mentioned in the context of some developments elsewhere -- the Epstein files. I just want to share some information...” he said.

He underlined that the documents in question comprise a massive volume of material. “Three million emails have been released, covering the period from May 2009, when I joined as India’s Ambassador to the UN in New York, until I became a minister in 2017. During this period, there are references to only three or four meetings, and my interactions were entirely professional, related to the Independent Commission on Multilateralism and other international work...”

Rejecting any association with alleged wrongdoing, Puri asserted, “My interactions had nothing to do with charges against him…” and stressed that the files pertain to grave criminal accusations. “Epstein Files, the Yuva Neta should know, are about wrongdoing, criminal offences. The Epstein Files are about charges that he had an island where he used to take people to indulge their sexual fantasies, charges of paedophilia, there are victims of this. Those victims have brought cases against people in authority. My interaction had nothing to do with that...”

How Puri met Epstein

Explaining the circumstances of their meetings, Puri said his contact with Epstein occurred in a professional setting. “My boss at IPI knew Epstein and I met him only on a few occasions, 3 or at max 4 times to be precise, as part of a delegation. Our interactions had nothing to do (with the crimes he is accused of),” he said.

He reiterated that the meetings were linked to his work with the International Peace Institute (IPI). “I met Epstein on a few occasions as part of a delegation (and) exchanged just one email. Our interactions had nothing to do (with the crimes he is accused of),” Puri stated, adding, “We talked about ‘make in India’.”

According to the minister, the email trail reflects minimal engagement. “Just three-four references (to his name) out of three million emails…” he noted. He also said, “I had no interest in Epstein's activities. For them, I was not the 'right person'.”

Political counterattack on Rahul Gandhi

Beyond rebutting the allegations, Puri criticised Gandhi’s conduct in Parliament. “He has a habit of making baseless allegations,” the minister said, referring to the Congress leader’s speech earlier in the day.

Drawing a contrast in leadership styles, Puri remarked, “There are two kinds of leaders. There are those who assume responsibility within the political system and dedicate their lives to public service, transforming the country.” He added, “These are the leaders who, during their lifetime, have ensured that the country has moved from being the 10th largest economy to the fourth largest. We are currently fourth, and soon we will be the third largest.”

Without taking Gandhi's name, he also took a veiled aim at his parliamentary presence. “Then there are other leaders who occasionally come to the country, sometimes travel abroad, and when they come to Parliament… they walk out of the House when someone gives them a substantive reply and doesn't listen to them. He left after his own speech today...”

Recalling a past episode, Puri said, “I think this was not the last Constitution Day in November, but the one before that, or around that time, perhaps when we were celebrating 50 years of the Emergency. They were waving a copy of the Constitution, which was wrapped in cellophane paper. Even their entire cadre was waving that copy in the air."

He further said, "Later, someone removed the cellophane covering and said, ‘Look, which Constitution are you talking about?’… But on the one hand, you have leaders who dedicate their lives to transforming the country and work around the clock, and then you have elements of buffoonery. I am choosing my words carefully, elements of buffoonery. I did not call him (Rahul Gandhi) a buffoon; I said elements of buffoonery."

The Epstein Files

The controversy follows the recent release by the US Department of Justice of a fresh tranche of documents linked to Epstein. Deputy US Attorney General Todd Blanche said more than three million pages were being disclosed, alongside over 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The material relates to investigations into Epstein’s sexual abuse crimes and his interactions with influential figures.

Epstein died in a New York jail cell in August 2019 after being indicted on federal sex trafficking charges, in a death ruled a suicide.