Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sought an explanation from minister Swati Singh after pictures of her inaugurating a beer bar in the state capital went viral on social media.
Pictures show Singh, Minister of State for Women Welfare, accompanied by two senior IPS officers — Gaurav Pandey (SSP, Rae Bareli) and his wife Neha Pandey (SP, Unnao) — inaugurating the beer bar by the name of 'Be the Beer' in Gomtinagar on Saturday.
"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," an official spokesman said on Monday night.
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 viral photographs have stirred a controversy with the opposition parties questioning if it was true. "This aptly shows the contradictions in the ruling BJP... They say one thing, but practice something else," Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said. The controversy comes at a time when women in Uttar Pradesh are at the forefront of protests against liquor, he said.
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 goes to inaugurate a beer bar," he said, adding that it was also not clear if the bar was licensed.
Defending Swati Singh, BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said that 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)
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