Congrss spokesperson Pawan Khera cited purported email exchanges to challenge Puri’s explanation of his past interactions with Epstein, triggering a sharp political showdown in Parliament.
BY PC Bureau
February 11, 2026: The political confrontation over alleged links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein intensified on Wednesday, with the Congress stepping up its attack on Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and accusing him of downplaying the seriousness of Epstein’s crimes.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera raised six pointed questions, citing purported email exchanges to challenge Puri’s explanation of his past interactions with Epstein.
Today, @HardeepSPuri said that his “contacts” introduced him to Reid Hoffman. But what he didn’t say matters more.
On October 4, 2014, Epstein emailed Hardeep: “Did Reid meeting happen?”
Hardeep replied within hours: “I am in SF for meeting this afternoon. You, my friend, make… pic.twitter.com/uI0jSx45Ms
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) February 11, 2026
The political row escalated after Puri, responding to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, acknowledged that he had met Epstein “three or four times” over eight years in a “professional capacity,” claiming that details of those interactions were already in the public domain following the release of “three million emails.”
Citing documents released by the US Department of Justice, Khera referred to an alleged email exchange dated October 4, 2014, to question Puri’s version of events. In a post on X, Khera said Epstein had emailed Puri asking, “Did Reid meeting happen?” to which Puri allegedly replied, “I am in SF for meeting this afternoon. You, my friend, make things happen. Any advice?” Epstein’s response reportedly suggested organising a trip to India for Reid Hoffman to meet science, technology, and social networking leaders.
LIVE: Union Minister Shri @HardeepSPuri addresses press conference at BJP headquarters New Delhi. https://t.co/K0xF9tyx7f
— BJP (@BJP4India) February 11, 2026
“Today, Hardeep Singh Puri said that his ‘contacts’ introduced him to Reid Hoffman. But what he didn’t say matters more,” Khera wrote, questioning how Epstein knew about the meeting even before it took place.
Khera then posed six questions, including: Was Epstein the contact who facilitated the meeting with Hoffman? Why was Puri discussing sensitive meeting details with Epstein? Why was Epstein addressed as a “friend”? What exactly was Epstein “making happen” for Puri? And why was advice being sought from him if their association was merely incidental?
In a postscript, Khera remarked, “It was almost surreal watching Hardeep lose his composure and stutter in anger. Hard to believe this is the same man who once represented India as a diplomat — what a dramatic fall in stature.”
In a separate post, Khera accused Puri of trivialising Epstein’s conviction, objecting to the minister’s description of the 2008 case in which Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from a minor. “An ‘underage woman’ is a child. Reducing sexual exploitation of a minor to ‘that’s it’ reflects disturbing moral casualness,” he wrote, calling on the minister to maintain ethical clarity while holding public office.
At a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Puri hit back, accusing Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of making “baseless allegations” and turning Parliament into a platform for “sensationalism and entertainment.”
Clarifying his remarks, Puri said his interactions with Epstein were limited, professional, and linked to his tenure as India’s Ambassador to the United Nations and later work with the International Peace Institute. “Any contact I had with him has no connection to the serious allegations of sexual abuse filed by victims,” he said.
The controversy was triggered after Rahul Gandhi claimed he had “verified information” suggesting that US Department of Justice files on Epstein named Puri, leading to a sharp political face-off between the ruling BJP and the Congress, further intensifying tensions during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament.
