Congress’ Sharp Attack On Hardeep Singh Puri: Was Epstein Running India’s Foreign Policy Through Him?

• Congress leader Pawan Khera has accused Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri of maintaining contact with Jeffrey Epstein despite his conviction.
• Congress has demanded answers from the Modi government and questioned whether Puri should remain a minister.
• Puri, in an NDTV interview, denied wrongdoing and said his interactions with Epstein were limited and professional.

The political controversy surrounding Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri's alleged links with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein has intensified after Congress leader Pawan Khera launched a sharp attack during a press conference, raising questions about the nature of Puri's interactions and seeking clarity from the government.

The minister has since responded, stating that his contact with Epstein was minimal and occurred in a professional, delegation-based context.

Congress targets Puri over Epstein links

At the press briefing, Pawan Khera alleged that Puri remained in contact with Epstein even after the latter had pleaded guilty to serious criminal offences in 2008.

He questioned how any public figure could maintain communication with a convicted offender and criticised Puri's suggestion that some people were unsure about Epstein's criminal record.

Khera said such claims reflected poor judgment and raised ethical concerns. He also disputed Puri's assertion that his interactions with Epstein were minimal, alleging that email exchanges and meetings suggested more frequent contact than acknowledged publicly.

According to Khera, Puri continued interacting with Epstein between 2014 and 2017 and must explain the circumstances of those engagements.

What Congress Allege?

• Why was Hardeep Singh Puri communicating with Jeffrey Epstein after his 2008 conviction as a sex offender?
• Under whose authority or instructions did Puri interact with Epstein between 2014 and 2016 when he was only a retired diplomat?
• If Puri claimed he never sought appointments, then why did emails show him asking: "Jeff, can I see you?" and "Jeff, are you in town?"
• Why was a person linked to a government-funded think tank (RIS) emailing Epstein in 2017? In what official or unofficial capacity?
• Why were discussions related to "Digital India" happening months before its official launch and why was Epstein being informed?
• Were any government policies, foreign policy matters, or strategic information shared with Epstein?
• India had serving ambassadors in the US at the time - why was a retired diplomat engaging with Epstein instead of official channels?
• Did Epstein communicate views on India's Middle East policy through Puri, and were such inputs entertained?
• Who authorised or knew about these interactions - and what was the relationship between Puri, Epstein and the government?
• After these revelations, should Hardeep Singh Puri continue as a Union minister?

Key questions raised by Congress

During the press conference, Khera and other Congress leaders posed several questions to the minister and the government:

Why was Hardeep Singh Puri communicating with Epstein years after his conviction?
Under whose authority did a retired diplomat interact with Epstein between 2014 and 2016?

Why did he allegedly seek meetings if he later claimed he never requested appointments?
Why were initiatives like Digital India discussed before their official launch?

Was any government-related or policy information shared, and if so, in what capacity?
Should Puri continue as a Union minister amid the controversy?

Khera also questioned whether discussions linked to India's foreign policy or strategic matters were ever informally conveyed through such interactions.

Questions on official role and authority

Congress leaders pointed out that India had serving ambassadors in the United States during the period in question and asked why a retired diplomat would be engaging with Epstein instead of official representatives. They also asked whether Puri was acting in any advisory or unofficial capacity linked to the government.

Khera questioned why a representative associated with a government-funded think tank was emailing Epstein in 2017 and sought clarity on the purpose of those communications. He also raised concerns about references to India's Middle East policy and asked whether any diplomatic messaging had been informally conveyed.

The Congress party further accused the government of downplaying the controversy and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarify the nature of any relationship between Puri and Epstein. Party leaders also criticised sections of the media for allegedly ignoring key questions and called for greater scrutiny and accountability.

Khera said the issue raised serious concerns about transparency and ethics in public life and demanded a clear explanation from both Puri and the government.

Puri responds to Epstein Allegations:

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and issued a clarification in an exclusive interview with NDTV. Addressing emails from 2014 and 2015 that have drawn scrutiny, including references to an "exotic island" and the phrase "have fun," Puri said he had no knowledge of Epstein's full criminal background when they first met.

"No, I did not," Puri said when asked if he knew about Epstein's past initially.
He added, "On the first meeting, we Googled him," explaining that he and others discussed whether they should meet him after learning more.

Puri said his interactions occurred while he was associated with the International Peace Institute and working as Secretary General of the Independent Commission on Multilateralism. According to him, the meetings happened as part of delegations and were not personal initiatives.

"We were trying to look at the world. We didn't invite Epstein there," he said, adding that he met Epstein only "on a few occasions, three or maximum four."

Emails and 'exotic island' remark

One email that drew attention included a line:
"When you are back from your exotic island, may I meet you... to excite an interest in India."
Explaining the remark, Puri told NDTV it was a casual expression and should not be misinterpreted.

"I have an expression I use with everybody... which exotic place are you in?" he said, adding, "Don't read any meaning into that."

He said the email referred to a possible meeting and sharing information about India in a general context. Another message where he wrote "have fun" was also addressed, with Puri saying that while he had heard allegations about Epstein by 2014-15, he did not know the full extent of what later came to light.

Key clarifications from Puri include:

He was not holding a government position at the time
Interactions were part of international delegations
Epstein was not linked to the commission's core work
Meetings were limited and incidental
'I meet many people in public life'

Puri also defended his interactions by noting that public life often involves meeting a wide range of individuals.

"I meet a lot of people in my life. Many of the people I interact with... have been convicted of something," he told NDTV.

He added that if he had been serving as a government official at the time, he would have sought formal clearance before such meetings. He stressed that he was then working with international policy institutions rather than in an official government role.
Political row continues

The exchange between Congress and the minister has escalated into a wider political confrontation, with the opposition pressing for further clarification and the minister denying any impropriety. As the controversy continues, the issue remains a flashpoint between the ruling government and the opposition over accountability and transparency in public life.