The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has named Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri as its candidate for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha bye-election in Madhya Pradesh, following L Murugan's resignation. Puri's candidature has been a topic of discussion since early this year due to his association with American financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The BJP announced Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha bye-election in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday. The election was necessitated after L Murugan, who served as a member of the Upper House of Parliament and held the position of a Union minister, resigned on October 14. Murugan's term was scheduled to expire in April 2030.
Based on the composition of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Puri is expected to secure the seat unopposed. The bye-poll is set for November 12. Puri previously served as a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh since January 2018, four months after becoming a Union minister.
In early 2021, Puri's name surfaced in the 'Epstein files,' a vast collection of documents, emails, photos, and videos detailing the activities of American financier Jeffrey Epstein and his social circle. Epstein is accused of sexually abusing underage girls and running a sex-trafficking network.
The documents revealed email exchanges between Puri and Epstein that began in June 2014. In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution from a minor and was sentenced to 18 months in prison, serving approximately 13 months. Epstein faced federal sex-trafficking charges involving minors again in 2019 but died in a New York jail cell while awaiting trial.
Old photographs showing Puri with Epstein were widely circulated online earlier this month, prompting questions from opposition leaders, including Congress’ Rahul Gandhi. In response, Puri stated that his conversations with Epstein had no connection to the crimes for which Epstein was convicted.
Source:
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