Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched a scathing counter-attack on Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Responding to Gandhi’s allegations regarding the Jeffrey Epstein case, Puri labeled the claims as “completely baseless” and criticized the Congress leader’s habit of making unsubstantiated statements before staging a walkout.

Puri categorized political leaders into two groups: those who take responsibility and transform the nation, and those who treat politics as a part-time hobby. “One set of leaders has ensured India rose from the 10th to the 4th largest economy, soon to be the 3rd. Then there are leaders who frequent foreign trips and flee the House as soon as they finish their speech,” Puri remarked, taking a direct swipe at Rahul Gandhi’s conduct in Parliament.

Addressing the Epstein controversy, the Minister clarified that his brief interaction was strictly professional and part of a delegation invited by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. Out of 3 million leaked emails, Puri noted his name appeared only a handful of times. “Epstein actually called me a ‘two-faced man’ because I wasn’t the ‘right person’ for his interests. Our discussion was focused on ‘Make in India’ and had zero connection to his criminal activities,” Puri stated. He advised Rahul Gandhi to thoroughly read the documents before pointing fingers, emphasizing that the US Justice Department’s records do not implicate him in any wrongdoing.