'Which Anti-National Traitor They're Blackmailing?' Rahul Gandhi Links Rubio's Visit To Puri-Epstein Photo

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday questioned whether the United States was "blackmailing" someone in India, linking US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Mumbai visit to what he described as the US Department of Justice’s release of a photograph showing Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“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?” he said.

Opposition Questions Puri Over Photographs

The post came as opposition leaders circulated photographs of Puri with Epstein and questioned his earlier account that their meetings took place as part of a delegation.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate challenged his statement about not meeting Epstein individually.

“Didn’t Hardeep Puri say he had never met Epstein one-on-one?” she asked.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra also shared an earlier video statement by the minister, questioning who else had attended the meetings.

“Epstein Paaji told us he only met Epstein as part of a delegation 3-4 times. Guess the other delegates were hiding under the table in these 2 photos, Paaji,” she wrote.

Puri Had Described Meetings As Professional

In February, Puri said he had met Epstein “three or maximum four” times in a professional capacity through the Independent Commission on Multilateralism, a project of the International Peace Institute.

He said the interactions occurred after he stepped down as India’s ambassador to the United Nations and before joining the Union Cabinet in 2017. Puri maintained that the meetings had nothing to do with the criminal allegations against Epstein.

“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 had said.

Rubio In India, Says 'Trade Agreement Weeks Away'

During his India visit, Rubio said India and the US were nearing a trade agreement, telling The Indian Express that “99% of the work is done”.

“I think we’re incredibly close. The way I would say it is, we are weeks, not months, away from I think, finalising it,” he said in an interview during his second India visit in less than five months.

Rubio also called on India to purchase more American energy, technology and defence systems as the two countries discussed strengthening their strategic partnership.

Rubio Calls Protests A Domestic Matter

Rubio declined to comment on the country’s internal politics when asked about UN experts’ criticism of the handling of protests against the Election Commission.

He called the term “UN experts” an “oxymoron” and described the issue as a domestic political matter.

“No, it's a domestic political matter. This is a democracy, they have elections here. I am not going to opine on their political matters,” Rubio said.

He also distinguished peaceful demonstrations from riots involving vandalism and the destruction of property.