Smriti Irani Constantly Asserts That They Have a Relationship with the Goa Bar, they Cannot Turn Around When Someone Else Relies on Those Assertions – Congress Leaders to Delhi HC

As Smriti Irani and her family constantly assert that they have a relationship with the Goa bar, they cannot turn around when someone else relies on those assertions to ask them legitimate questions, Congress leaders Pawan Khera, Jairam Ramesh, and Netta D'Souza told the Delhi High Court.

According to the three leaders in their reply via advocate Sunil, at least three such instances are documented, but they are conspicuously absent from the Irani's submissions. They further said that Smriti Irani cannot escape questions and cannot claim a blanket immunity concerning probity in her dealings.

The three leaders filed their written statements in response to the union minister’s defamation suit against them for the allegations they made against Irani and her daughter concerning a bar in Gao.

It was stated that following Irani’s Lok Sabha affidavit of 2019 and documents obtained from public filing with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, it is clear that there is a warranted basis to the questions asked by the Congress leaders.

Khera and others argued that irrespective of the office held by the person from whom answers are sought, they are not only entitled but also obligated to raise issues of public importance. They added that the questions submitted by them arise from the declarations and endorsements made by Irani and the language used is clearly in the realm of ‘fair comment.'

BACKGROUND

Recently, on July 29, the Delhi HC ordered Ramesh, D'Souza and Khera to remove defamatory material on social media against Smriti Irani and her daughter Zoish Irani in regards to the recent controversy surrounding the Smriti Irani's restaurant and bar in Goa.

Justice Mini Pushkarna had also held that the minister and her daughter never received a license or even applied for one for the restaurant Silly Souls Café and Bar in Goa. Furthermore, they have also established that they do not own the restaurant and bar, which has been at the center of controversy after the opposition alleged that the restaurant's license is illegal.