Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister and BJP candidate for the Rajya Sabha bypoll in Madhya Pradesh, disclosed his assets in the affidavit submitted with his nomination papers for the November 12 byelections. The 74-year-old leader has movable assets worth Rs 6.54 crore and immovable assets valued at Rs 20 crore, including a residential property in Delhi's West End area.
What Are The Sources Of Income Of Puri?
According to the affidavit filed along with his nomination papers, his annual income rose from Rs 63.36 lakh to Rs 75.57 lakh over the past five years. Puri listed pension and salary as a Union minister, rent from his Delhi property and interest on bank deposits as his sources of income.
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Hardeep Singh Puri's Wife Is Wealthier Than Him
Hardeep Singh Puri's wife, Laxmi Puri, who is a retired Indian Foreign Service officer and also served as a diplomat and a UN official, is wealthier than him in terms of annual income, movable assets and bank deposits. Laxmi has movable assets worth Rs 10.66 crore and immovable assets valued at Rs 9 crore, including a house in Greater Noida valued at Rs 19.52 lakh and an apartment in Geneva, Switzerland, worth 3 million Swiss francs (about Rs 34 crore), the affidavit said.
She also holds USD 290,658 (about Rs 2.75 crore), it read. While Puri's annual income increased by around Rs 12.21 lakh over the past five years, his wife's income rose from Rs 15.39 lakh to Rs 1.69 crore during the same period, as per the affidavit.
The document lists her sources of income as pensions from the Government of India and the United Nations, rent from her Geneva property and interest on bank deposits.
His wife has Rs 20,000 in cash and jewellery worth Rs 45 lakh. Puri has nearly Rs 22.20 lakh in four bank accounts in Delhi, while Laxmi has around Rs 1.02 crore in two accounts in the national capital. Both have deposits in their respective Public Provident Fund (PPF) and Senior Citizens' Savings Scheme (SCSS) accounts, amounting to Rs 20.54 lakh and Rs 30 lakh, respectively, according to the affidavit.
Congress Attacks Puri Over His Alleged Link With Jeffrey Epstein
Congress attacked the BJP for "shamelessly promoting a man with links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein". Puri has acknowledged meeting Epstein three or four times in a professional context before joining the Union Cabinet in 2017 and denied any wrongdoing.
(With PTI inputs)