Hardeep Singh Puri 'in Cabinet' to respond to US?

The BJP’s recent nomination of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri for the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha bypoll has effectively quashed rumors that he would be sidelined over the recent controversy. Speculation ignited when a photograph of Puri with Jeffrey Epstein got circulated during US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India, with opposition figures hinting at geopolitical blackmail. Rather than backing down, rumors suggest the Modi government is interpreting this as a coercive pressure tactic and is preparing to adopt a significantly more bullish, uncompromising posture towards the US to prove New Delhi cannot be cornered.