3 months ago
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Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri connected Wednesday (February 11, 2026) slammed Congress person Rahul Gandhi for "passing innuendo" against him, asserting that helium had met Jeffery Epstein connected a "few occasions" but his interactions with him had thing to bash with the crimes the convicted American enactment offender was progressive in.
Mr. Puri's clarification came aft Mr. Gandhi claimed that the Union minister's sanction has besides figured successful 'Epstein Files' released successful the U.S.
Addressing a property league successful New Delhi, Mr. Puri said, "After I resigned arsenic India's ambassador to the UN, I was invited to articulation the International Peace Institute (IPI) a fewer months later. I was not portion of the IPI per se. I was caput wide of the Independent Commission (ICM) connected Multilateralism, acceptable up successful the IPI arsenic a project."
"My brag successful the IPI, Terje Rod-Larsen, was the idiosyncratic who knew this peculiar infamous idiosyncratic Mr. Epstein and it is arsenic portion of a delegation of the IPI oregon the ICM that I met Mr. Epstein connected a fewer occasions, 3 oregon maximum four," helium added.
Mr. Puri said the ICM was dealing with planetary and thematic issues and Epstein was not portion of it.
He said Epstein was alleged to person committed respective transgression offences and determination were charges that helium had an land wherever helium utilized to instrumentality radical to indulge successful "their intersexual fantasies".
"There are victims of this. These victims person brought cases against the radical successful authority," helium said asserting that his interactions with Epstein had "nothing to bash with this".
Mr. Puri said that helium had apprised Rahul Gandhi astir this by sending him a "note" past year.
BJP, Congress spar aft Jeffrey Epstein mails notation to invitation to Hardeep Puri
"On the Samvidhan Divas connected November 26 past year, I was determination astatine the cardinal hallway of the aged Parliament building. After the lawsuit (organised to people Samvidhan Divas) concluded, helium (Rahul Gandhi) came up to maine and winked astatine maine successful his style," Mr. Puri said
"I was besides amused... He said 'your sanction is successful absorbing places'. I asked him bash you privation to cognize what the facts are? Do you privation a enactment connected it? So I sent him a note," the curate added.
Mr. Puri accused Mr. Gandhi of indulging successful "buffoonery" present and told the reporters, "This innuendo and smear run has fixed maine a privilege and the accidental to speech to you and spot the facts earlier you."
Mr. Puri besides said helium had sent an email to LinkedIn laminitis Reid Hoffman with a transcript to Epstein connected November 13, 2014, conveying his presumption that India presents a "terrific opportunity" for internet-based economical activity.
Reading retired the excerpts of his email, the curate said that helium besides suggested Mr. Hoffman to sojourn to India to spot the changes happening.
"It's a agelong e-mail. Anybody wants its copy, it's disposable connected the internet, the DOJ...This is the lone substantive e-mail. There are 1 oregon 2 also. I volition springiness you," helium said.
Mr. Puri cited different email betwixt Mr. Larsen and Jeffrey Epstein and said, "Epstein present refers to maine arsenic two-faced... I was surely not bully successful their worth strategy due to the fact that they were dealing successful thing else." "Rahul should person work it," helium added.
