'Daughter Targetted Because Of My Vocal Stand On Sonia, Rahul Gandhi': Smriti Irani On Goa Bar Row

Smriti Irani's hard-hitting response came after the Congress demanded that PM Narendra Modi should sack Irani as a minister, alleging that an "illegal bar" was being run in Goa by her daughter.

Union minister Smriti Irani addresses a press conference on Goa bar row. (Image: PTI)

Responding to the allegation that her daughter ran an illegal bar in Goa, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday rejected the claims made by several Congress leaders and termed it to be 'malicious', adding that her 18-year-old daughter is being targetted because of her mother's vocal stand on the Sonia and Rahul Gandhi's "Rs 5,000-crore loot" in the National Herald case.

In a fierce a press conference, Irani said that Congress "assassinated" and "publicly mutilated" her daughter's character and even dared the grand old party to show the proof of any wrongdoing.

"An 18-year-old child, a college student... her character was assassinated by Congressmen at party headquarters. Her fault is that her mother fought Lok Sabha elections against Rahul Gandhi from Amethi in 2014 and 2019," Irani said.

#WATCH | Union Minister Smriti Irani denies the allegations of her 18 year old daughter running an illegal bar in Goa pic.twitter.com/iIxag5e4fQ

— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2022

"Her character was publicly mutilated by the Congress party and they claim that the mutilation stemmed from a show-cause notice. I want to ask that Congressperson, where is my daughter's name in the papers that he flashed?," she said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also asserted her 18-year-old daughter is a first-year college student and does not run any bar.

"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," the BJP leader pointed out.

"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," she said

"To the Gandhi family, which directed that this press conference be held against my child, I tell you to send Rahul Gandhi back to fight the Lok Sabha election in 2024 from Amethi and he will lose again. That is my promise as a BJP worker and as a mother," Irani added.

Smriti Irani's hard-hitting response came after the Congress demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should sack Irani as a minister, alleging that an "illegal bar" was being run in Goa by her daughter. Congress also shared a copy of the show cause notice given to the bar, and said the excise official who gave the notice is reportedly being transferred after pressure from authorities.