New Delhi, October 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday questioned the BJP and the RSS over a purported photograph of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, asking whom the ruling establishment was allegedly being blackmailed by.
In a post on X, Gandhi linked the circulation of the purported photograph to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Mumbai, writing: “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?”
Gandhi did not explicitly refer to the India-US trade deal in his post. However, his remarks came amid opposition questions about Puri’s reported interactions with Epstein and the timing of the photograph’s circulation.
Congress leaders have also sought to connect the developments with ongoing India-US engagement. Congress leader Srinivas B.V. had earlier suggested a possible connection between Rubio’s visit and trade negotiations, raising questions about the timing of the events.
However, no evidence cited in the remarks establishes a link between the photograph’s circulation, Rubio’s visit and the trade negotiations. Gandhi’s post also did not provide evidence to substantiate the implication of blackmail.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Sambit Patra launched a counterattack against Gandhi, accusing the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha of attempting to destabilise the government.
Speaking in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, Patra alleged that Gandhi had travelled to Vietnam to receive guidance from financier George Soros on efforts to undermine India’s government. His remarks followed reports that Gandhi had left for a four-day private visit to Vietnam amid protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Patra’s allegations against Gandhi were not independently substantiated in the remarks reported.
The exchange marks another escalation in the political confrontation between the Congress and the BJP, with both sides trading allegations over national interests, political accountability and the government’s dealings with international figures.
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