New Delhi [India], October 21 (ANI): Congress continued to mount an offensive over a purported photograph of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri with Jeffrey Epstein. Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday raised questions over the alleged meeting and demanded answers from the Central government.

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi wrote, "Rubio goes to Mumbai. The US DOJ releases a picture of Epstein and Puri. Dear BJP and RSS workers, which anti-national traitor do you think they're blackmailing?"

http://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/2112908278326001828

Launching a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Puri's alleged meeting with Epstein, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal also accused the government of inaction despite purported links between the two.

"Modi did nothing despite knowing full well about Hardeep Puri's close ties with known international pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Truly disgusted by the latest revelations proving that Puri met Epstein in the same rooms where Epstein carried out his heinous crimes," Venugopal wrote in a post on X.

Accusing the ruling leadership of failing to act against a Cabinet Minister, Venugopal questioned the government's position on women's safety.

"Modi-Shah's complete silence and inaction on this only points to their criminal indifference to such allegations against their own Cabinet Minister. What can women expect from a Government that shields and nurtures a man with close ties to the worst sexual predator known to human civilisation?" he said.

Venugopal also called on the Prime Minister to address the issue in the context of ongoing discussions on an India-US trade deal. "There is also an urgent need for PM Modi to speak up on this issue, because US President Donald Trump has also declared that India and the US are extremely close to signing a trade deal," he said.

Questioning whether the alleged revelations could have a bearing on the negotiations, Venugopal added, "Do these revelations have any bearing on the final contours of the deal? Given how lopsided the previous deal was, there is every chance that the Compromised PM will once again surrender India's interests to shield himself and those close to him."

Congress leader Srinivas BV also raised questions over the matter. In a post on X, Srinivas said, "Yesterday, the US Secretary of State landed in 'Mumbai', and right at that very moment, pictures of Hardeep 'Epstein' Puri emerged from the US Justice Department's files. Could there be some VIDEO coming out too to settle the technicalities of the US Trade Deal...?

Earlier on Wednesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also questioned Puri over his alleged meeting with Epstein after a purported photograph of the two circulated on social media. Raut asked whose message the Union Minister was allegedly carrying and whether it was on behalf of Prime Minister Modi.

"Modiji, one minister, Hardeep Puri, is meeting Jeffrey Epstein alone? Whose message is he carrying in the meeting? This is the beginning. Watch ahead to see what's about to happen. @RSSorg regime change will happen! Jai Hind!" Raut wrote.

Earlier in February, Puri had rejected allegations raised by Rahul Gandhi regarding the Epstein files, asserting that Prime Minister Modi had "no connection" with the files and describing the claims as "baseless".

Clarifying his interactions with Epstein, Puri had said he met him four times over nine years, between 2009 and 2017.

"He told me your name is in interesting places. I had sent him a note clarifying that between 2009, when I went to New York, and 2017, I met Epstein a total of 4 times. Four times in 9 years, I was a member of the IPI appointed to see if the UN is fit for purpose on its 75th anniversary. I had no independent meetings with Epstein. The allegations against Epstein are about sexual favour; they are about paedophilia, about other wrongdoings...I have nothing to do with that," Puri had earlier said. (ANI)