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UP minister sparks row over beer bar inauguration pic, Adityanath seeks report
In the pictures, Uttar Pradesh women welfare minister Swati Singh is seen cutting a ribbon with a group of people, including some bureaucrats, standing alongside her.
Photographs of Uttar Pradesh minister Swati Singh purportedly inaugurating a beer bar have gone viral on social media, stirring a controversy on Monday with opposition parties questioning if this was the true face of the Bharatiya Janata Party government.
In the pictures, Swati, the minister of state for agriculture exports (independent charge), is seen cutting a ribbon with a group of people, including some bureaucrats, standing next to her.
In the face of criticism, chief minister Yogi Adityanath asked the minister to explain her stand.
“Taking note of media reports about minister of state for agriculture exports (independent charge) Swati Singh inaugurating a beer bar, the chief minister has asked her to submit a status report with all the information,” said an official press release issued late on Monday evening.
Swati, wife of Dayashankar Singh who was suspended for allegedly making derogatory remarks against BSP supremo Mayawati, is said to have ‘inaugurated’ the bar on May 20.
She was not immediately available for a comment.
The CM also sought explanation from an IPS couple that attended the inauguration programme. IPS officers Gaurav Singh and Neha Pandey are posted as district police chiefs of Rae Bareli and Unnao.
“This aptly shows the contradictions in the ruling BJP... They say one thing, but practice something else,” Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said.
This comes at a time when women in Uttar Pradesh are at the forefront of protests against liquor, he said. Women groups in the state have been demanding a ban on sale and consumption of liquor.
Congress leader Dwijendra Tripathi said this incident shows the real “chaal (action), charitra (character) and chehra (face)” of the BJP government.
“They speak about things only to woo the public... Their leaders talk about prohibition while a minister of theirs goes to inaugurate a beer bar,” he said, adding it is also not clear if the bar is licenced or not.
BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi came out in the minister’s defence, saying since liquor is not banned in the state, her action is not illegal.
“It has to be known under what circumstances she had taken part in the inauguration... It is said that a woman is the owner of the outlet and the minister was there to promote entrepreneurship among women,” Tripathi said.
(With PTI inputs)
