<p>New Delhi: The BJP alleged on Saturday that former Union minister Kapil Sibal received an award funded by convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at an event in the US in 2010 and demanded a response on the issue from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.</p>.<p>When asked, Sibal dismissed the ruling BJP's claim as "rubbish".</p>.<p>In a post on X, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, "In 2010, an award reportedly funded by Jeffrey Epstein was received by senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, a figure long seen as close to the Gandhi family." Sam Pitroda, Congress's overseas department head, too was associated with the "same circles", Bhandari alleged.</p>.<p>He posted on X a document, which purportedly had Sibal's name on the list of awardees, alongside other dignitaries, including Pitroda, at the 2010 International Awards Gala that was organised in New York.</p>.BJP demands probe into 'letterhead racket' in Karnataka CMO.<p>"Soon after that period, several policy shifts were witnessed during the then Congress-led government," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader alleged.</p>.<p>"Were these coincidences, or did external influence of Epstein attempt to shape decisions of Congress govt. Rahul Gandhi should answer!" he said, adding, "Epstein -- Congress Government's Valentine!" Sibal quit the Congress in 2022. He is currently an Independent member of the Rajya Sabha, backed by the Samajwadi Party.</p>.<p>The Congress has been demanding Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri's resignation after his name appeared in the "Epstein files" released in the United States.</p>.<p>Participating in a debate on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Gandhi, the leader of opposition, alleged that the India-US interim trade deal is a "wholesale surrender", with India's energy security handed over to the US and farmers' interests compromised.</p>.<p>He also alleged that Indian interests have been "surrendered" under the deal to protect the BJP's financial architecture.</p>.<p>Talking to reporters outside the new Parliament building, the former Congress chief further claimed that the names of Puri and industrialist Anil Ambani figured in the "Epstein files".</p>.<p>Addressing a press conference later, Puri slammed Gandhi for "passing innuendo" against him, clarifying that he had met Epstein on a "few occasions", but his interactions with him had nothing to do with the crimes the convicted sex offender was involved in. </p>
<p>New Delhi: The BJP alleged on Saturday that former Union minister Kapil Sibal received an award funded by convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at an event in the US in 2010 and demanded a response on the issue from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.</p>.<p>When asked, Sibal dismissed the ruling BJP's claim as "rubbish".</p>.<p>In a post on X, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, "In 2010, an award reportedly funded by Jeffrey Epstein was received by senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, a figure long seen as close to the Gandhi family." Sam Pitroda, Congress's overseas department head, too was associated with the "same circles", Bhandari alleged.</p>.<p>He posted on X a document, which purportedly had Sibal's name on the list of awardees, alongside other dignitaries, including Pitroda, at the 2010 International Awards Gala that was organised in New York.</p>.BJP demands probe into 'letterhead racket' in Karnataka CMO.<p>"Soon after that period, several policy shifts were witnessed during the then Congress-led government," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader alleged.</p>.<p>"Were these coincidences, or did external influence of Epstein attempt to shape decisions of Congress govt. Rahul Gandhi should answer!" he said, adding, "Epstein -- Congress Government's Valentine!" Sibal quit the Congress in 2022. He is currently an Independent member of the Rajya Sabha, backed by the Samajwadi Party.</p>.<p>The Congress has been demanding Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri's resignation after his name appeared in the "Epstein files" released in the United States.</p>.<p>Participating in a debate on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Gandhi, the leader of opposition, alleged that the India-US interim trade deal is a "wholesale surrender", with India's energy security handed over to the US and farmers' interests compromised.</p>.<p>He also alleged that Indian interests have been "surrendered" under the deal to protect the BJP's financial architecture.</p>.<p>Talking to reporters outside the new Parliament building, the former Congress chief further claimed that the names of Puri and industrialist Anil Ambani figured in the "Epstein files".</p>.<p>Addressing a press conference later, Puri slammed Gandhi for "passing innuendo" against him, clarifying that he had met Epstein on a "few occasions", but his interactions with him had nothing to do with the crimes the convicted sex offender was involved in. </p>