A photograph showing Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri sitting across a table from convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein triggered a fresh political controversy on Wednesday, October 21, with opposition leaders questioning the minister’s earlier explanation of his interactions with Epstein.
The photograph circulated widely on social media and was reported as part of documents released by the US Department of Justice. Some reports described it as newly surfaced, although the image was included in a document collection released in January 2026.
The photograph shows Puri and Epstein seated opposite each other, with no other person visible in the frame. The image has renewed questions about Puri’s account that he met Epstein in a professional capacity as part of a delegation.
Congress leaders criticised the government and questioned Puri’s explanation. Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal said he was “truly disgusted” by the revelations and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of remaining silent over the controversy.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate questioned Puri’s earlier statements about his meetings with Epstein. Sharing the photograph, she asked: “Didn’t Hardeep Puri say he had never met Epstein one-on-one? What kind of people does Modi like and chooses to have around him?”
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also mocked Puri’s explanation that he met Epstein as part of a delegation. Referring to the photographs, she wrote: “Guess the other delegates were hiding under the table in these 2 photos, Paaji.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut questioned the purpose of the meeting and asked whether Puri had been carrying a message on behalf of the prime minister. He warned that more developments could emerge as the controversy continued.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also raised questions about the issue, asking who the United States might be attempting to pressure, amid broader concerns over India-US relations.
Puri has denied wrongdoing and maintained that his interactions with Epstein were professional. In a statement to The Wire, his office said he could not recall which meeting the photographs showed or whether other people were present before or after the pictures were taken. It also clarified that Puri had never claimed he had not met Epstein alone.
Puri previously said he met Epstein three or four times between 2009 and 2017 through his association with the International Peace Institute and its Independent Commission on Multilateralism. He maintained that these interactions were unrelated to Epstein’s criminal activities.
Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor. He was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges and died in custody that August while awaiting trial.
The controversy centres on the nature of Puri’s meetings with Epstein and whether his earlier explanation adequately addresses the questions raised by the photographs. The images alone do not establish that Puri was involved in Epstein’s crimes.
The issue has intensified political criticism of the government, with opposition leaders demanding greater transparency and a clear explanation from the minister.
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