A simple order for samosas and cake has turned into a major political headache for the Himachal Pradesh government. The state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is now embroiled in a controversy after an investigation was launched to determine how snacks meant for Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu were mistakenly served to his security personnel. The incident, which occurred on October 21st at the CID headquarters, has sparked accusations of ‘anti-government’ behavior and triggered a war of words between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP.
According to news agency PTI, the snacks were procured from a hotel in Lakkar Bazaar for the CM’s visit to the CID headquarters for a function. However, the inquiry report, conducted by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), revealed that the refreshments ended up with the CM’s security staff instead. The report cited a lack of coordination as the reason behind this blunder.
The investigation revealed a series of miscommunications that led to the mishap. An Inspector General rank officer had requested a sub-inspector (SI) to fetch snacks from the hotel for the CM. The SI, in turn, delegated the task to an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and a head constable. The ASI and head constable collected the refreshments from the hotel in three sealed boxes and informed the SI. However, when they inquired with the tourism department staff on duty if the three boxes were meant for the CM, they were told that the snacks weren’t part of the menu. The inquiry report highlighted that only the SI, who had initially assigned the task of procuring snacks, was aware that the boxes contained the refreshments for CM Sukhu. The woman inspector, who received the food items, reportedly did not consult any senior officer and sent the refreshments to the mechanical transport (MT) section, which typically handles refreshments.
The incident has triggered a heated exchange between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP. A senior CID official, in a note, alleged that all individuals mentioned in the inquiry report acted in an ‘anti-CID’ and ‘anti-government’ manner, preventing the VVIPs from receiving the intended refreshments. The note further stated that these individuals acted with their own agenda in mind.
However, the opposition BJP has dismissed these accusations as baseless. Jai Ram Thakur, the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, in a video statement, questioned the ‘anti-government’ label, stating that the opposition had not consumed the samosas and those who had been served the snacks were part of the government. He suggested that the state government and the CM must have deemed the incident serious enough to warrant an inquiry.
The incident has also raised eyebrows within the state government. While the DGP, Atul Verma, has confirmed that the CID is conducting the investigation, not the police headquarters, the media advisor to the CM, Naresh Chauhan, has maintained that the state government did not order any inquiry and that it is an internal matter of the CID.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has downplayed the controversy, stating that the probe was focused on misbehavior of officials and that the media had unnecessarily sensationalized it into a ‘samosa’ issue. He has also accused the BJP of deliberately trying to discredit his government, claiming that their efforts stem from the failure of ‘Operation Lotus’ to dislodge his government.
Amidst the uproar, Sukhu humorously declared that he doesn’t consume samosas due to health reasons. Sanjeev Ranjan Ojha, Deputy General CID, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the matter was internal and shouldn’t be politicized. He further asserted that the government was not involved and that an investigation was underway to determine how the information was leaked.
The opposition BJP has slammed the Congress government, claiming it has become a ‘laughing stock’ for ordering an inquiry into a ‘samosa’ issue. Former Himachal Pradesh BJP chief Satpal Satti has urged the police to focus on addressing the numerous scandals instead of wasting time on trivial matters. He has also criticized the Congress government for being unbothered about the people’s concerns, pointing out that their primary concern seemed to be how samosas are served at their functions.
The ‘samosa saga’ continues to unfold, highlighting the political complexities and the often absurd situations that can arise in the pursuit of power and the public eye. It remains to be seen how this investigation will play out and what its implications will be for the Himachal Pradesh government.
