3 months ago
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The Opposition MPs connected Friday (February 13, 2026) staged a protestation extracurricular the Makar Dwar successful the Parliament House analyzable portion demanding the resignation of Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, who is nether occurrence aft Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi questioned his links with the infamous Jeffrey Epstein.
MPs from crossed the Opposition parties held placards speechmaking "Who's grip, who's choke" during the demonstration. This comes aft Rahul Gandhi, connected Wednesday (February 11, 2026), claimed helium has verified accusation linking Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to the precocious released Epstein files by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Addressing reporters, the Rae Bareli MP questioned wherefore Mr. Ambani, whose sanction reportedly appeared successful the Epstein-related files, has not been jailed. "I person said that I volition authenticate the information I have. There are Department of Justice files connected Epstein naming Hardeep Puri and Anil Ambani." He further claimed that determination was unit connected Prime Minister Narendra Modi implicit the India-U.S. atomic woody and criticised the government's handling of delicate issues.
Responding to Mr. Gandhi's remarks, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri deed backmost astatine Rae Bareli MP and dismissed the allegations arsenic baseless, describing them arsenic "elements of buffoonery" and having "entertainment value." Later that day, soon aft Mr. Gandhi's remarks, Mr. Puri addressed a property league astatine the BJP headquarters. Mr. Puri criticised Mr. Gandhi for walking retired of the Lok Sabha aft delivering his speech. "We person a younker person (Rahul Gandhi) who placed a fewer things earlier the Parliament today. He has a wont of making baseless allegations. There are 2 kinds of leaders: those who presume work successful the governmental strategy and dedicate their lives to societal service, transforming the country, and those who give their lives and guarantee that, during their lifetime, the state moves from the 10th-largest system to the 3rd-largest," Mr. Puri said.
Mocking Mr. Gandhi, the Union Minister added, "What Rahul Gandhi does has a batch of amusement value! On 1 hand, you person leaders who dedicate their lives to transforming the state and enactment astir the clock, and past you person elements of buffoonery."
Mr. Puri clarified that immoderate interaction helium had with Epstein was constricted to authoritative interactions implicit 8 years and had nary transportation to the intersexual maltreatment allegations. "These facts are known successful the nationalist domain. Three cardinal emails person been released. I was successful New York for 8 years, from May 2009, erstwhile I was appointed India's Ambassador to the UN. In 2017, I became Minister. There are references to perchance 3 oregon 4 meetings successful 8 years. Any interaction I had with him has nary transportation to the superior allegations of intersexual maltreatment filed by victims," helium explained.
