Congress demands Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s resignation

The Congress on Thursday (February 12, 2026) demanded the resignation of Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri after his name came up in the Epstein Files.

Responding to Mr. Puri’s explanation that he was in touch with the late Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who was charged with serious sex offences, as part of his “professional exchanges,” Congress leader Pawan Khera asked why he organised a visit for LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman when there was a full-fledged Indian Embassy.

“Hardeep Puri at that time was a retired diplomat. In what capacity was he organising Hoffman’s India visit?” Mr. Khera asked in a video that he posted on his X handle.

“Had the Indian embassy closed down? Was the Indian Ambassador not there? Wasn’t Sushma Swaraj the External Affairs Minister? Why did Narendra Modi need the services of Hardeep Puri? And why did Narendra Modi need Epstein for Reid Hoffman’s visit?” the Congress leader added.

The Congress party has stepped up its attack on the Union Petroleum Minister after his name appeared in some of the mails pertaining to the Epstein Files.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has raised the issue inside and outside Parliament, even though his exact comments were removed from the Lok Sabha records.

While the ruling alliance said it would bring a privilege motion against Mr. Gandhi for making “unsubstantiated allegations” against Mr. Puri, the Petroleum Minister defended his mail exchanges with Epstein as “professional.”

“What happens in New York does not stay in New York,” Mr. Khera said on X, adding, “@HardeepSPuri must resign now!”