Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday challenged Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri regarding his alleged interactions with Jeffrey Epstein, following the online circulation of a purported photograph featuring the two, questioning whose message the minister was conveying and whether he was acting on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Raut noted that the subject was attracting widespread national attention and suggested that additional details would surface in due course.

Writing on X, Raut questioned the motive behind Puri's alleged meeting with Epstein and indicated potential political fallout.

“Modiji, one minister Hardeep Puri is meeting Jeffrey Epstein alone? Whose message is he carrying in the meeting? This is the beginning, Watch ahead to see what's about to happen? @RSSorg regime change will happen! Jai Hind!” Raut wrote.

Addressing journalists, Raut referenced the release of document caches linked to Epstein and questioned Puri's past statements regarding his encounters with the disgraced financier, asserting that emerging imagery depicted the two together.

“We haven’t just tweeted about this; the matter is being discussed across the entire country. The Epstein files have now been made public. Union Minister Hardeep Puri, a member of the Modi cabinet, had claimed that he never even met Epstein—certainly never in private. However, the U.S. Department of Justice has exposed the truth. Photographs have emerged showing him partying with Epstein; the images also show glasses and other items placed in front of them. What does this actually mean? Why did he meet with Epstein? Whose message was he carrying? Was it a message from Modi ji? You tell me. And such an individual is a minister in Modi ji’s government. This is only the beginning; much more is yet to come to light. Just stay tuned,” Raut said.

Congress leader Srinivas BV likewise raised questions regarding the disclosures, connecting the development to the US Secretary of State's recent visit to Mumbai and discussions surrounding bilateral trade negotiations.

Posting on X, Srinivas wrote, “Yesterday, the US Secretary of State landed in 'Mumbai', and right at that very moment, pictures of Hardeep "Epstein" Puri emerged from the US Justice Department's files, Could there be some VIDEO coming out too to settle the technicalities of the US Trade Deal...?”

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activist Abhijeet Dipke also scrutinised Puri's previous assertions concerning his contacts with Epstein.

Sharing an image purportedly depicting Puri alongside Epstein, Dipke asked in a post on X, “Didn’t Puri claim that he never had a personal meeting with Epstein?”

Earlier this year in February, Hardeep Puri rejected claims raised by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi regarding the 'Epstein Files', insisting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintains "no connection" with the documents and dismissing the allegations as "baseless".

Clarifying the nature of his interactions at the time, Puri stated that he had met Epstein four times over a nine-year period.

"He told me your name is in interesting places. I had sent him a note clarifying that between 2009, when I went to New York, and 2017, I met Epstein a total of 4 times. Four times in 9 years, I was a member of the IPI appointed to see if the UN is fit for purpose on its 75th anniversary. I had no independent meetings with Epstein. The allegations against Epstein are about sexual favour, they are about paedophilia, about other wrongdoings...I have nothing to do with that," Puri stated.

ANI