Congress builds pressure as Smriti Irani refutes Goa bar allegations

A row has erupted over allegations of Union Minister Smriti Irani’s daughter running an ‘illegal bar’ in Goa. Congress leader Pawan Khera hit out at the Union Minister and posted an article in which Smriti Irani had said that she was proud of her daughter’s restaurant.

Congress leader Pawan Khera tweeted -“Which Smriti Zubin Irani is lying? The one who on 14th April 2022 said she was proud of her daughter’s restaurant or the one who today says her daughter has nothing to do with the Silly Souls Bar & Cafe?”

Congress leader BV Srinivas shared a video on Twitter showing Smriti Irani’s daughter Zoish talking about a Goa restaurant. In the video, Zoish Irani can be heard saying that Goa is the tourist hub of India and one can find Goan cuisine at local restaurants, but international food is lagging here.

The Congress has been building pressure after Smriti Irani denied ownership of the restaurant in Goa.

Two days back, Silly Souls Cafe and Bar, which the Congress alleges is run by Union Minister Smriti Irani’s daughter Zoshi, was served a show cause notice by the Goa excise commissioner Narayan Gad for rules violation.

The notice followed a complaint by an advocate, Aires Rodrigues, who claimed that the bar was issued a liquor license when it did not even have a restaurant license.

“A liquor license was issued even when there was no restaurant license. In June, the liquor license was renewed under the name of the person who passed away in May,” Rodrigues said in a statement after Smriti Irani’s press conference this evening. At the media briefing, the minister said that since she spoke about the Gandhis and their Rs 5,000 crore loot, the Congress is targeting her daughter.

“The whole world knows that this up-market ‘Silly Souls Cafe and Bar’ is managed and run by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani’s family at Bhouta Vaddo in Assagao Village at Goa. And there is enough evidence to this effect,” Rodrigues claimed.

At the hearing regarding the notice on July 29, ‘we would know about the ghost who runs the show’, he added.

“Smriti Irani’s family owns other prime properties in Goa, the land of fish, feni and fun. All this must be probed by the law enforcement authorities. Stay tuned.” Advocate Rodrigues alleged.

GOA BAR ROW
Congress has alleged that Smriti Irani’s daughter is running an illegal bar in Goa on a fake licence, a charge denied by the Union Minister. Smriti Irani hit back at Congress and asserted that her 18-year-old daughter Zoish is a first-year college student and does not run any bar.

Meanwhile, Zoish Irani’s lawyer Kirat Nagra denied the charges against her and said that the political opponents of Smriti Irani were levelling allegations with a predetermined objective of defaming her for solely being the daughter of a political leader.

SMRITI IRANI HITS BACK AT CONGRESS
After Congress alleged that Irani’s daughter is running an illegal bar in Goa, the Union Minister said that the Congress held the press conference to target her daughter at the behest of the Gandhi family.

“Those who assassinated my daughter’s character, I will see you in the court of law and the court of people,” she said.

She dared Rahul Gandhi to fight from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat again in 2024, and vowed that she will make him bite the dust again. Irani had defeated the former Congress president in Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Irani noted that Khera flashed documents to say that the bar was given a show-cause notice and asked if the papers had her daughter’s name.