Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on Monday demanded an explanation from a Cabinet minister, Swati Singh, after pictures of her inaugurating a bar in the Gomtinagar area of Lucknow surfaced, PTI reported. “The CM has taken a cognisance of the minister inaugurating a beer bar in the presence of senior officers and sought a clarification from them,” the government said in a statement.
The inauguration of “Be the Beer” took place on May 20 in the state capital. There were reports that IPS officers of Rae Bareli and Unnao districts – Gaurav Pandey and Neha Pandey – had also attended the programme. Jai Narain Singh, inspector general of Lucknow, said he had asked the IPS couple to explain their presence at the inauguration, reported IANS.
UP Minister of State for Women and Child Welfare Swati Singh is the wife of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dayashankar Singh, who was suspended last year for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati. The news comes amid protests by women in the state demanding a liquor ban similar to the one adopted by their neighbouring state, Bihar.
The Opposition used this as an opportunity to take a dig at the Adityanath government and said the incident exposed the “real face” of the BJP. “Their leaders talk about prohibition while a minister of their’s goes to inaugurate a beer bar,” Congress leader Dwijendra Tripathi said.
However, BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi defended Singh and said the bar was owned by a woman and the minister was there “to promote entrepreneurship among women”, reported PTI.
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