Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi questions the timing of the release of a photo linking Hardeep Singh Puri and Jeffrey Epstein, raising doubts as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Mumbai. The issue centres on when the picture is released in relation to Rubio’s trip, with Gandhi and other opposition voices asking who benefits from or orchestrates the publicity.
Outlets also highlight the backdrop to the photo. Hardeep Puri has said he met Epstein on “a few occasions,” and that the meetings had no connection to Epstein’s crimes. The different reports focus on the same core dispute—whether the photo’s timing implies political motives—while noting that scrutiny intensifies during Rubio’s visit.
