Met Epstein 3-4 times on peace delegation: Hardeep Puri hits back at Rahul Gandhi

Hardeep Singh Puri, while rubbishing Rahul Gandhi's Epstein link charges, said he met Epstein 3-4 times as part of a delegation and had nothing to do with the charges against the late sex offender.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday rubbished charges levelled by Rahul Gandhi linking him to the infamous Epstein Files and said he met the sex offender as part of an International Peace Institute (IPI) delegation. The minister issued the clarification while holding a press conference after Rahul Gandhi's explosive Lok Sabha address.

Puri clarified that his interactions with Epstein had nothing to do with the charges against the late American finacer.

"My boss at IPI knew Epstein and I met him only on a few occasions, 3 or at max 4 times to be precise, as part of a delegation. Our interactions had nothing to do (with the crimes he is accused of)," Hardeep Puri said.

"I had no interest in Epstein's activities. For them, I was not the 'right person'...Epstein called me two-faced. Rahul should read the emails."

The clarification came shortly after Rahul Gandhi, while speaking in the Lok Sabha, said Hardeep Puri's name is mentioned in the Epstein Files, which detail the criminal activities of the sex offender, including his social circle of public figures, politicians and celebrities. Several high-profile figures from across the world, including US President Donald Trump, Bill Clinton have been named in the files.