Stepping up their attack on Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Opposition parties demanded his resignation, alleging that the revelations regarding his interactions with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had raised serious questions about his conduct.
Members of the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc on Friday (February 13, 2025) protested outside the main entrance of the Parliament building. They also raised slogans inside the Lok Sabha, forcing an adjournment.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters, party spokesperson Pawan Khera asked in what capacity and under whose instructions Mr. Puri had met Epstein in the United States between 2014 and 2016, when he had held no official post.
Mr. Khera said that Mr. Puri was then a retired Indian Foreign Service officer. Three Indian ambassadors were posted in Washington during this period but none of them had met Epstein. “Whose brief was Puri carrying?” Mr. Khera asked.
Alleging that Epstein appeared to be attempting to influence foreign policy matters, Mr. Khera cited an email in which Epstein reportedly expressed “strong opinions” on developments in the Middle East.
