'Tracking person who ate samosa?': Himachal Pradesh BJP criticises state govt over CID probe on samosa

In a developing controversy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a scathing attack on the Congress-led state government regarding a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) inquiry into the distribution of samosas and cakes meant for Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Reports suggest that these refreshments were mistakenly served to his security staff instead.

Leader of the Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Jai Ram Thakur, expressed disbelief over the situation, questioning, “How did a samosa become an anti-government act?... The opposition people did not eat the samosa.” Thakur criticised the government for what he deemed an overreaction to a minor issue, noting the rising anarchy and corruption in the state.

He remarked, “At a time when anarchy and corruption are at their peak at every level in the state, the government's police were tracking down the person who ate the samosa. Blowing up such a small matter at such a big level is to play with the image of Himachal and its people.”

In response to the criticism, Naresh Chauhan, chief media adviser to the Chief Minister, condemned the opposition for politicizing trivial issues, asserting, “No such investigation was ordered. This could be an internal matter of the CID. The BJP is defaming the state in this way to gain benefits elsewhere.”

CID Director General Sanjeev Ranjan Ojha clarified that the investigation stemmed from a report conducted following the incident on October 21 when refreshments were ordered but not served to the officials. “I asked for it to be looked into to identify whose negligence led to the VVIP refreshments being distributed among other people. This was meant to be an internal matter,” he stated.

Ojha stated that the report had been leaked and emphasized the seriousness of the issue, indicating that the leak would also be investigated. “It is wrong to leak an internal report. It should not be politicized,” he said, reaffirming that no action would be taken against anyone involved in the incident.

What happened?

The incident took place on October 21 during the Chief Minister's visit to the CID headquarters. According to the CID report, intended samosas and cakes were mistakenly served to Sukhu's security staff instead of the Chief Minister himself, raising questions about internal communication and protocol adherence.

An official note from a senior CID officer suggested that those involved acted according to their "own agenda," undermining government authority.