Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday rejected Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s explosive claims over his links in the Epstein Files, asserting that the references to his name were minimal and taken out of context. Puri stressed that he had "exchanged only one email" and met Epstein as part of an official delegation, with no connection to the crimes the sex offender is accused of.
The response came after Gandhi, speaking to reporters outside Parliament, mentioned the names of Hardeep Singh Puri and businessman Anil Ambani in connection with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
"Just three-four references (to his name) out of three million emails. I met Epstein on a few occasions as part of a delegation (and) exchanged just one email. Our interactions had nothing to do (with the crimes he is accused of)," Hardeep Puri said. "We talked about make in India," he added.
"I had no interest in Epstein's activities. For them, I was not the right person," he said. The minister further added that Epstein had called him "two-faced". He further advised LoP Lok Sabha to read the emails.
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Puri defended himself by recalling an email he wrote in 2014, arguing that it reflected his foresight about India’s growth trajectory rather than any wrongdoing.
"In the month of November 2014, I was a private citizen. Somebody says they want to look at India, we have a meeting with Reid Hoffman, who is the Founder of LinkedIn, on the West Coast of the United States. I start my email by saying I am now convinced more than ever that India today presents a terrific opportunity and that Reid Hoffman should visit India to see the changes which are coming. Digital India, Make in India - I am talking about this in November 2014," Puri said.
"If my memory serves me right, this project started in 2015. So, here I was a farsighted private citizen who knows what kind of work the Modi Govt is going to do. So, if this is what they call 'Hardeep Puri's name appears in Epstein Files'," he aaded.