New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday asked his Minister of State (independent charge) Swati Singh to explain her position after pictures of her inaugurating a bar went viral on social media.
“The chief minister has taken cognisance of Minister Swati Singh inaugurating a bar in the presence of senior officers and sought a clarification from them,” the chief minister’s spokesman said in Lucknow.
Directions were also issued seeking explanation from officers who reportedly participated in the function. The bar did not have a permanent licence.
Singh, who holds the independent portfolio for Women Welfare, Family Welfare, Maternity and Child Welfare, inaugurated the bar on May 20. She was not available for comment.
She is wife of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dayashankar Singh who was suspended last year for making derogatory remarks against Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati.
Meanwhile, Lucknow Range Inspector General Jai Narain Singh on Tuesday sought explanation from husband-wife Indian Police Service (IPS) officer duo — Rae Bareli district’s Superintendant of Police (SP) Gaurav Singh and Unnao’s SP Neha Pandey — for attending the event.
“The two officers have been asked to respond in three days. They have been asked to explain in what circumstances they left their districts and went to the inauguration without inquiring whether the bar had a permanent licence. The bar had only temporary licence for one day,” the IG said.
Reacting to the controversy, Gaurav Singh said he had taken permission to leave the district.
“Also it was a private function. I had gone to the event as an individual,” he told media.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said, “this aptly shows the contradictions in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. They say one thing, but practice something else. This comes at a time when women in Uttar Pradesh are in the forefront of protests against liquor.”
Congress leader Dwijendra Tripathi said this incident shows the real “chaal [action], charitra [character] and chehra [face] of the BJP government.”
BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi defended Swati Singh stating that “since liquor is not banned in Uttar Pradesh, her action is not illegal.”
