Photographs showing Indian Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri seated opposite the late convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein have emerged from documents released by the United States Department of Justice. The release of these images has triggered a massive political storm in India, with opposition parties launching scathing attacks against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government and demanding the immediate resignation of the union minister.
The newly surfaced images form part of the 'Epstein Files' released by US authorities, specifically included in 'Dataset 9' made public earlier this year. At least two prominent photographs depict a suited Hardeep Singh Puri sitting across a table from Epstein, who is wearing a black sweater, amidst scattered papers and documents. Notably, no third person is visible in the frame of these photographs, directly contradicting the minister's previous assertions regarding the nature of their encounter.
Previously, Minister Puri had maintained that his interaction with Epstein occurred solely as part of a delegation led by his superiors at the International Institute for Peace (IIP). However, the visual evidence has cast serious doubt on this narrative. Investigative reports from independent Indian media outlets indicate that the dataset contains roughly ten similar photographs of the meeting, varying only slightly in camera angles and framing. When questioned by reporters, Puri's office stated that the exact context and date of the meeting, as well as the presence of any other individuals, could not be distinctly recalled by the minister, though they claimed he never explicitly denied meeting Epstein.
Opposition leaders have seized upon these revelations to intensify pressure on the central government, terming the interaction highly compromising and questioning the transparency of high-ranking officials. Prominent figures from the opposition have united in demanding Puri's resignation, insisting that such associations warrant a thorough and independent probe. The controversy has also drawn international attention, adding to the extensive scrutiny surrounding Epstein's historical network of global political and business elites.
As political fallout continues to mount, analysts predict that this issue will feature prominently in upcoming parliamentary sessions and public discourse. While government representatives attempt to minimize the implications of the decades-old photographs, opposition parties are framing it as a serious issue of political ethics and accountability, ensuring that Minister Puri will face sustained pressure in the days to come.
