Union Minister Hardeep Puri says Rahul Gandhi indulging in ‘smear campaign’ against him, acknowledges Epstein meetings

Hardeep Puri criticises Rahul Gandhi's allegations, clarifying his Epstein meetings were unrelated to any criminal activities.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for "passing innuendo" against him, asserting that he had met Jeffery Epstein on a "few occasions" but his interactions with him had nothing to do with the crimes the convicted American sex offender was involved in.

Mr. Puri's clarification came after Mr. Gandhi claimed that the Union minister's name has also figured in 'Epstein Files' released in the U.S.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Mr. Puri said, "After I resigned as India's ambassador to the UN, I was invited to join the International Peace Institute (IPI) a few months later. I was not part of the IPI per se. I was secretary general of the Independent Commission (ICM) on Multilateralism, set up in the IPI as a project."

"My boss in the IPI, Terje Rod-Larsen, was the person who knew this particular infamous person Mr. Epstein and it is as part of a delegation of the IPI or the ICM that I met Mr. Epstein on a few occasions, three or maximum four," he added.

Mr. Puri said the ICM was dealing with international and thematic issues and Epstein was not part of it.

He said Epstein was alleged to have committed several criminal offences and there were charges that he had an island where he used to take people to indulge in "their sexual fantasies".