BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj inaugurates a 'bar' in Lucknow, says "didn't know it serves liquor"

New Delhi: Firebrand BJP MP and Hindu priest Sakshi Maharaj landed himself in a spot of bother after ‘inadvertently’ inaugurating a night club in Lucknow’s Aliganj area on Sunday evening. Maharaj who claims to have to have not known about the ulterior motive reportedly said that he wasn’t aware that the restaurant serves liquor and would have avoided going to the event if he had known about it in advance. The parliamentarian known for making remarks against the minority community has now raised the matter and complained about it to BJP state president Mahendra Nath Pandey. “I was told by former UP state president Rajjan Singh that it was a restaurant owned by his son-in-law. I inaugurated only the restaurant section of the eatery. The banner there also read it was a restaurant only. I am deeply hurt and want the restaurant's license cancelled if it is found to be a night club. I have written a letter to the SSP," said Maharaj. Maharaj represents Unnao in Lok Sabha and the development comes as the country is outraged over the alleged rape of a woman by a local BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar. A similar incident took place last year when a female minister of the Yogi Government inaugurated a beer bar in the state capital.

UP Minister Swati Singh had inaugurated the bar called 'Be the Beer' in Lucknow's Gomti Nagar area on May 20 pic.twitter.com/psP3z5Am9K

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UP CM Yogi Adityanath sought an explanation from Minister of State for Women Welfare Swati Singh who was accompanied by two senior IPS officers Gaurav Pandey (SSP, Rae Bareli) and his wife Neha Pandey (SP, Unnao) in inaugurating the beer bar by the name of 'Be the Beer' in Gomtinagar. The pictures then had gone viral.