Hardeep Singh Puri Rejects Rahul Gandhi’s Epstein Allegation, Calls Claims Misleading

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri has firmly dismissed allegations raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi linking him to the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein, calling the charges misleading and politically motivated. Responding to the claims, Puri clarified that his limited interactions with Epstein were strictly professional and occurred years ago as part of official delegations, with no personal association whatsoever.

The controversy erupted after Rahul Gandhi referred to the recently discussed “Epstein files” during a political attack, alleging that Puri’s name appeared in the documents and questioning the nature of his association with Epstein. The remarks quickly sparked political reactions, prompting Puri to issue a detailed rebuttal.

Puri stated that he met Epstein only three or four times at most, and that too in the context of his work with international institutions. He explained that during his tenure at global policy platforms, including engagements connected to the International Peace Institute, Epstein was occasionally present as part of broader delegations. According to Puri, these meetings were formal, incidental and focused on policy-related discussions, with no private or social interactions. The minister stressed that any attempt to link these professional encounters to Epstein’s later criminal cases is both unfair and factually incorrect. He underlined that the meetings took place long before Epstein’s crimes came to light and had no connection to the activities for which Epstein was eventually prosecuted.

Puri also criticised what he described as a selective reading of publicly available material, saying that mere mentions of names in large document dumps do not establish wrongdoing. He urged political leaders to exercise restraint and responsibility while interpreting such records, cautioning against drawing insinuations without context.

The issue has added to the heated exchanges between the ruling party and the opposition during the ongoing political session, with leaders trading accusations over accountability and credibility. While Congress leaders have continued to demand explanations over names appearing in the Epstein-related material, the BJP has accused the opposition of indulging in character assassination to divert attention from substantive issues. He reiterated that professional contact should not be twisted into allegations, asserting that truth and context must prevail over sensational claims.