Opposition MPs demand Hardeep Puri’s resignation over Epstein row
Stage protest outside Parliament
Opposition MPs on Friday staged a protest outside Makar Dwar in the Parliament House complex, demanding the resignation of Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri over alleged links with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Holding placards and raising slogans, MPs from several parties said that the minister should step down pending clarification of the allegations.
The demonstration followed remarks earlier this week by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who claimed to have verified information connecting Puri to documents linked to Epstein that were recently made public in the United States.
Separately, at a press conference at the Congress office in the national capital, senior leader Pawan Khera demanded Puri’s resignation and said the minister could not continue in office amid what he described as serious and unanswered questions.
He alleged that over the past two days Puri had offered inconsistent explanations and said the issue would be taken before the public.
Khera questioned Puri’s public remarks in recent interviews, particularly the assertion that he would have disclosed any wrongdoing had there been any. He said such a defence did not address the substance of the allegations.
He also disputed Puri’s claim that he met Epstein only once, alleging instead that there were multiple interactions, including email exchanges. Referring to Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea in a US court, Khera said it was untenable for a senior public figure to suggest uncertainty about his criminal background years later.
Khera further challenged Puri’s explanation that he was unaware of where he was being taken during his first meeting with Epstein and only later searched the location online. He said it was difficult to accept that a seasoned diplomat would exercise such judgement.
Raising additional concerns, Khera referred to an email allegedly sent by Epstein in November 2014 mentioning “Digital India” months before its official launch in July 2015. He claimed this suggested prior knowledge of government initiatives and sought clarity on whether any official information had been shared.
He also questioned whether any external influence had intersected with India’s foreign policy decisions during that period, stating that the government must provide a transparent account.
