'Will see Congress leaders in court': Smriti Irani denies allegations of her daughter running of bar in Goa

NEW DELHI: Union minister Smriti Irani on Saturday denied Congress' allegations that her 18-year-old daughter was running an "illegal bar" in Goa.
Addressing a press conference, Irani said that Congress had "publicly mutilated" her daughter's character and she would see them in court.
"My daughter's fault is her mother holds press conference on the loot of Rs 5,000 crore by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi," Irani said. "It is done at the direction of the Congress leadership, namely the Gandhi family. Because I had the audacity to hold a press conference and question Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on the Rs 5,000 crore loot of the Indian treasury."

I will seek answers in court of law, court of people: Smriti Irani
The BJP leader 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. "To the gentleman who sat there and giggled as they assassinated my daughter's character, I'll see you in the court of law, and in the court of people," she said in reaction to the allegation.

"Jairam Ramesh said, he is taking a position based on RTI application. Where did it mention my daughter's name? The allegation that my daughter runs an illegal bar is malicious, with the intent not only to assassinate her character, but also to politically malign me," Irani said.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Zoish Irani's lawyer Kirat Nagra denied the charges against her client, saying Smriti Irani's political opponents have levelled various "concocted" allegations against her with a predetermined objective of defaming her for solely being the daughter of a political leader.
Her comments were in response to media reports citing the Congress's claims that Irani's daughter was operating a "illegal bar" in Goa and calling for the Union minister to be fired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM Modi should sack Irani: Congress
The Congress released a copy of the show cause notice sent to the bar and noted that it is a "very severe matter." It also stated that the excise official who issued the notice is apparently being transferred as a result of pressure from authorities.
It also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should sack Union Minister Smriti Irani.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera told reporters that there are serious charges of corruption against Irani's family and her daughter is allegedly running a restaurant in Goa, in which a bar is functioning on a "fake licence".
"The licence by Smriti Irani's daughter is in the name of a person who died in May 2021, and the licence was taken in June 2022 in Goa. But the person in whose name the licence is, had died 13 months ago. This is illegal," he said.
However, according to Zoish's lawyer, she has not received any show-cause notices from any authorities.
"My client, a young eighteen-year-old student and a budding chef who has worked in various restaurants to learn culinary arts, is sought to be scarred in perpetuity by her mother's political opponents who with oblique and ulterior motive seek to malign her.
"These political opponents have levelled various baseless charges and concocted allegations against our client. It is unfortunate that they have resorted to spreading a false propaganda only to sensationalize a non issue without ascertaining true facts and with a predetermined objective of defaming our client for solely being the daughter of a political leader," Nagra said in the statement.
He further said Zoish has no control or oversight into the management and affairs of the eatery and her limited interaction at the facility was only while doing an internship program with the chef of Silly Souls Café.
"Our client is neither an owner nor operating the restaurant called Silly Souls Goa. Furthermore she has not received any show cause notice from any authority whatsoever as alleged," Nagra said.
Zoish is currently pursuing her prospects in higher education, and "does not work at the eatery and has no knowledge, much less any involvement, with the events that have purportedly transpired in relation to the said eatery" the statement read.
Nagra further said, "various ex facie erroneous, frivolous) and defamatory social media posts being made by various vested quarters trying to settle political scores with our client's mother."
(With inputs from agencies)