Outrage over UP minister for beer bar launch picture is because she's a woman
In "secular, sanskari, beef-banning, alcohol-shunning republic of India", beer bars are legal (at least so far), what is forbidden is their inauguration.
More so, if the chief guest cutting the red ribbon happens to be a woman.
So when Uttar Pradesh minister Swati Singh inaugurated a beer bar, photographs from the event went viral. Opposition parties — as a standard operating procedure — pounced upon those pictures on social media and questioned if this is the "true face of the BJP government".
The outcry then prompted the much-moral chief minister of the state, Yogi Adityanath, to seek an explanation from her.
Singh is the minister of state for women welfare, family welfare, maternity and child welfare.
According to an official release from the Uttar Pradesh government, "Taking note of the media reports, CM Adityanath Yogi has asked minister Swati Singh to explain her position on the entire issue."
Singh was photographed cutting a ribbon, flanked by a group of people, including an IPS couple, in the event that took place in Gomtinagar area of the state capital on May 20.
The CM has also directed senior officials to seek explanation from the IPS officer couple — serving as police chiefs of Raebareli and Unnao districts — Gaurav Singh and Neha Pandey, it stated.
According to a report in The Times of India, IPS Gaurav Singh had taken permission to be on leave on May 21, but was "caught in the photographs attending the ceremony a day before". His wife, however, had not taken official permision.
"She had not taken permission," the IG range was quoted as saying by the TOI report. The same report said "normally district SPs have to inform their seniors in case they leave headquarters for a prolonged period for some work. The couple was also reminded that as a police officer they should not have attended opening of an establishment such as liquor shop or bar".
However, in defence of the woman minister, BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi has said it had to be seen whether she was at the event to "promote entrepreneurship among women" as the bar is apparently owned by one.
He also said since liquor is not banned in the state, her action is not illegal.
Of course, that didn't stop opposition parties from attacking the BJP's real “chaal (action), charitra (character) and chehra (face)” as Congress leader Dwijendra Tripathi described the incident.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said, “This aptly shows the contradictions in the ruling BJP... They say one thing, but practice something else.”
The inauguration of a new beer bar, he added, comes at a time when women in Uttar Pradesh were in the forefront of protests against liquor.
Ironically, Swati Singh, wife of Dayashankar Singh, is a victim of the same prejudice against women which her husband is known for perpetuating on other women leaders like BSP supremo Mayawati.
The former vice-president of BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit, Daya Shankar Singh, had last year compared Mayawati to a prostitute while accusing her of selling party election tickets.
He had questioned her character saying her "behaviour was worse than that of a prostitute and it was the reason why followers of Kanshi Ram were deserting her".
Even though Daya Shankar was sacked from the party following an uproar in Parliament, Singh's expulsion was revoked in March after the BJP's massive victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
After Swati Singh's pictures from the beer bar event went viral, she too had to face misogynistic attack — very much akin to the moral policing unleashed by the BJP and its fringe groups across the country.
@bjpswati a lady minister inaugurating a #BeerBar is pathetic. @CMOfficeUP
— Raj Singh Butola (@navybutola) May 30, 2017
UP Minister #SwatiSingh inaugurates #BeerBar @myogiadityanath Ji seeks explanation.I think #DanceBar would have been the right choice of her
— NiharMohanty (@NiharPolitics) May 30, 2017
After having beer at new beer bar in LUCKNOW ,MISGUIDED YOUTH lifted a girl in RAMPUR and SECULARS slaughtered a calf in kerela. #Beerbar
— vishal vats (@vishalvats3) May 30, 2017
Next is what, she will inaugurate a b**thel because a woman is the owner and promotes "entrepreneurship"? #SwatiSingh
— QueenBee ♕ (@vaidehisachin) May 30, 2017
All these personal attacks on Swati Singh reflect stark moral policing that sadly her own party has been at the forefront of.
Even though the chief minister, just after assuming office, let loose the anti-Romeo squads to crack down on sexual harassment of women, there has been no let-up in crimes against women in the state long known for its goon culture and lawlessness.
The anti-Romeo squads were seen invading private space of citizens more than cracking the whip on actual criminals. Even the Allahabad High Court cautioned the squads against overreacting and said the police must act only as per law and not do anything “outside its purview" .
The promptness with which Swati Singh's beer bar-inaugurating incident has been condemned by the Yogi government also shows where its real priorities lie. The government — which keeps chanting sabka saath, sabka vikas — feels more responsible to jump into action over a woman minister inaugurating a liquor bar while violent attacks by Hindu vigilantes over rumoured cow slaughter and love jihad evoke little reaction from the chief minister.
After Yogi Adityanath's ascension to chief ministership, UP has been rocked by a spate of murders, rapes and robberies while incidents of communal and caste violence resulted in mob lynchings and violent clashes, including the riots in Saharanpur, where the situation is still far from normal.
What's more, one of the four women, who were allegedly gang-raped on the Jewar-Bulandshahr road off the Yamuna Expressway on May 25, has accused the Uttar Pradesh police of trying to hush-up the case and making false statements against the victims.
Amid all this, a chief minister "taking cognisance" of a "lady" minister inaugurating a liquor bar shows the misplaced concerns of a state governed by chauvinistic ideas — a government, which feels compelled to take action following an outcry by equally outrageous and patriarchal opposition parties.
We are so hypocritical in nature... Allow liquor legally.. Earn revenue from it but dare you inaugurate a beer bar... #beerbar #swatisingh
— BK (@bharat_k) May 30, 2017
Of course, the "target" of attack herself is no less guilty of perpetuating institutional prejudice against women. Heil democracy! Bharat Mata ki Jai!