The Congress on Wednesday questioned Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri over his purported interactions with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, alleging that documents from the US Department of Justice (DoJ) showed a far greater extent of communication between the two than the minister had acknowledged.Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also targeted the BJP and the RSS over the issue, linking the timing of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Mumbai visit with the release of a photograph of Puri with Epstein by the US DoJ.“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 said in a post on X.Referring to the photo showing Puri “alone” with Epstein, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera said the image raised fresh questions about the minister’s explanation that his meetings with the disgraced financier took place as part of a delegation.Khera said Puri had acknowledged one or two meetings and three to four emails over eight years. However, citing documents available on the US DoJ website, he claimed that at least 62 emails were exchanged between the two between 2014 and 2017 alone.He further alleged that records pointed to 14 meetings and other interactions, including several one-on-one meetings. “The recent photos have only strengthened our claims while questions persist,” Khera said, demanding that Puri disclose the extent and purpose of his interactions with Epstein.Khera asked the government to order an investigation into the minister’s interactions with Epstein.