New Delhi: Congress on Saturday alleged that a restaurant linked to union minister Smriti Irani's daughter illegally obtained a bar license, and demanded that the Minister be sacked. Irani came down heavily on the Congress for "character assassination" of her daughter, and said she will see them in court.Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said "there are serious allegations of corruption against Smriti Irani's family".
Irani denied that her daughter had any links with the restaurant, and said she would see them in court.Khera said "In a restaurant run by her (Irani's) daughter, there is a bar... The license of the bar is in the name of a person who died in May 2021, and the license was issued in the name of a person who had died," Khera alleged."As per law in Goa, one restaurant can get only one bar license... This restaurant got two licenses," he said, also alleging that they did not have a license to run the restaurant.
Khera alleged that the Minister's influence was used in obtaining licenses illegally."Smriti Irani, who was asking all kinds of questions to Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, I want to ask her, you can run a bar illegally, we can't run a newspaper?" he said."We demand from the Prime Minister that with immediate effect Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani should be dismissed from the cabinet, Smriti Zubin Irani who had sought resignation from the Chief Minister of Gujarat on 12th December, 2004…." he said.Hours later, Irani held a press conference and slammed the Congress for "publically mutilating" her daughter's character.
"My daughter is a student, she does not run a bar," Irani said."I want to ask that Congressperson... Where is my daughter's name mentioned in the papers that they flashed.""An 18 years old child, a college student, her character today was assassinated by Congressmen at congress headquarters. Her fault is that her mother fought against Rahul Gandhi in Amethi. This 18 years old girl's character has been assassinated by Congress. Her fault is that her mother does press conferences against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi," said Irani."The girl who was attacked today is not in politics. She is a college student. But a Congress spokesperson flashed the papers and alleged she runs an illegal bar"."I want to tell Pawan Khera, my 18 year old daughter studies in college.
She does not run a bar. Pawan Khera said my daughter was given show cause notice, I want to ask where is her name in the papers? Jairam Ramesh said it is based on an RTI. They are blaming my daughter on the basis of an RTI, is her name there?""Congress spokespersons laughed and said I hold press conferences against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi... I will keep doing press conferences. I will now seek answers in the court... In the court of law and court of people," she said.Irani challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to fight the Lok Sabha elections in Amethi in 2024, and said he would once again "bite dust"."I am challenging them to send Rahul Gandhi to Amethi again in 2024 to fight against me... We will again make Rahul Gandhi bite dust in Amethi," she said.
Congress' General Secretary Communication Jairam Ramesh quoted an RTI reply obtained by Goa based lawyer Aires Rodrigues while making the allegations.As per reports, the RTI reply showed that an excise licence was illegally issued to a bar and restaurant at Assagao in Goa, purportedly linked to Irani’s family, in the name of one Anthony D’Gama in 2021. In June 2022 the licence was renewed in Gama’s name after he passed, as per reports.
An Excise Commissioner issued a show-cause notice to the restaurant on July 21 after receiving a complaint from Rodrigues, said reports.
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