New Delhi: Union Minister Smriti Irani has sent a legal notice to the Congress party and its leaders Pawan Khera, Jairam Ramesh and Netta D’ Souza over the allegations raised by them against the minister’s 18-year old daughter of running an illegal bar in Goa, reported news agency ANI. Irani has demanded that the Congress party and its leader mentioned in the notice tender an unconditional written apology and withdraw all the allegations against her daughter with immediate effect.
The allegations of running an illegal bar have been refuted by Irani and her daughter, Zoisha’s lawyer. Rejecting the allegations, the Union Minister on Saturday targeted Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi saying that the college student was targeted because her mother exposed the mother-son duo’s "Rs 5,000-crore loot" in the National Herald case.
In a hard-hitting press conference here, Irani said the Congress "assassinated" and "publicly mutilated" her daughter Zoish's character, and dared the Opposition party to show proof of any wrongdoing on part of the 18-year-old.
"My daughter's fault is that her mother holds a press conference on the loot of Rs 5,000 cr by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Her fault is that her mother fought against Rahul Gandhi in 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls," the MP said.
Earlier on Saturday, the Congress party demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sack Irani from the Union Cabinet, alleging that an "illegal bar" was being run in Goa by her daughter.
Noting that it is a "very serious issue", the Congress also shared a copy of the show cause notice given to the bar, and said the excise official who served it is reportedly being transferred under pressure from the authorities.