BJP, Congress spar after Jeffrey Epstein mails refer to invitation to Hardeep Puri

Amidst the furore implicit the merchandise successful the United States of emails of convicted enactment trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s links with U.S. President Donald Trump, 1 of the 11-year-old mails released by the U.S. Oversight House Committee connected Wednesday (November 12, 2025) acceptable disconnected nationalist exchanges connected societal media betwixt the ruling BJP and the absorption Congress enactment successful India arsenic well.

The message appeared to notation an invitation to Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri by Epstein connected the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly and Climate Summit connected September 19, 2014, which was dismissed by the BJP arsenic “bogus claims” and “random name-dropping” successful effect to questions from Congress spokespersons.

The emails, betwixt Epstein, who died successful jailhouse successful 2019, and erstwhile White House Counsel Kathy Ruemmler, are incomplete, but look to recount Epstein demanding Ms. Ruemmler’s assistance successful contacting her erstwhile “boss”, indicating past U.S. President Barack Obama, who would person travelled to New York to be UNGA-related events.

In the emails provided by the Democrat oversight committee that accused the U.S. White House of a “cover-up” connected Epstein’s narration with Mr. Trump, Epstein is seen to beryllium listing respective planetary celebrities coming to events hosted by him that week.

The names see the erstwhile United Kingdom PM Gordon Brown, erstwhile CIA main Bill Burns, erstwhile U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland. He goes connected to notation that others, including the Mongolian President, and “Hardeep Puree (India) (sic)” were connected the list.

“You are a invited impermanent astatine any… besides if you deliberation determination are absorbing radical successful town, everyone present for clime summit, Clinton (Foundation), Security Council...” helium wrote, trailing off.

Puri successful New York

Mr. Puri, a vocation serviceman of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), had been India’s Permanent Representative astatine the United Nations aft serving successful respective elder positions successful Delhi, Colombo and Geneva, and retired from the UNPR station successful New York successful February 2013. India had been a non-permanent subordinate of the U.N. Security Council (2011-2012), and Mr. Puri had served arsenic President of the UNSC arsenic well. In September 2014, Mr. Puri had go a subordinate of the BJP, but remained successful New York arsenic helium was Vice President of the International Peace Institute and Secretary General of the Independent Commission connected Multilateralism (ICM), astatine the clip the mails notation to.

Mr. Puri declined to remark connected the substance oregon connected whether helium had known Mr. Epstein successful immoderate capacity, but the BJP’s National Information & Technology Department in-charge Amit Malviya and BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari defended him connected societal media.

Reacting to the work of mails connected Thursday (November 13, 2025), Congress Party Madhya Pradesh General Secretary, erstwhile Wing Commander Anuma Acharya, demanded that the BJP connection a “clear explanation” of the issue, peculiarly arsenic Mr. Epstein was convicted of the exploitation of insignificant girls. Congress Chairperson Social Media & Digital Platforms Supriya Shrinate added that the substance was “serious” and “absolutely shocking”, calling for the Minister to “come clean”.

“If the BJP sincerely intends to pb the nationalist sermon connected women’s rights, transparency connected this substance would lone fortify nationalist trust. In airy of this email becoming public, the women of India would similar to cognize from the Honourable Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr. Hardeep Puri, what the factual presumption regarding this correspondence is,” Ms. Acharya added.

“This isn’t a concealed dossier. This is drunk bragging connected Gmail without immoderate basis,” responded Mr. Bhandari, urging the Congress leaders to work the full email thread disposable online. “The facts, grammar, and communal consciousness each accidental the aforesaid thing: Bogus claim. Bad interpretation. Zero substance. Full comedy,” helium added, besides pointing retired that Mr. Puri’s sanction had been wrongly spelt by Mr. Epstein.

“There is ZERO notation to supplying girls to anyone,” said Mr. Malviya, referring to the insinuation that the events Mr. Epstein had allegedly invited Mr. Puri and different leaders to included trafficked minors. “The antheral is randomly name-dropping similar a Delhi broker during Vibrant Gujarat… Perhaps conscionable due to the fact that Mr. Puri has been India’s PR to UN till 2013 and helium whitethorn person heard his name,” helium replied, dismissing the Congress queries.