Himachal CM Sukhu issues clarification on ‘samosa’ controversy: ‘Probe not into…’

Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhwinder Sukhu clarified that the CID probe was not ordered for the missing ‘samosa’ but into misbehaviour of officials.

A day after a controversy erupted in Himachal Pradesh over a CID probe regarding ‘samosas’, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu clarified on Friday that the probe was ordered into the misconduct and misbehaviour of some officials.

Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu (File)

Sukhu said that the CID probe was not about samosas, as the media portrayed, but it was to ascertain the "misbehaviour" of officials. He also said that the BJP's attack against him regarding the issue was “childish”, and that the party was running a smear campaign against him ever since Congress won the assembly election.

“The probe was about the misbehaviour of officials but the media has turned the CID probe into samosas. The DGP has already clarified in this regard,” PTI quoted Sukhu as saying. The Himachal Pradesh CM further accused the BJP of running a campaign to run down his government since 'Operation Lotus' to dislodge his government failed.

Samosas and cakes, which were sent for Sukhvinder Sukhu, were reportedly served to his security staff instead, and the entire situation snowballed into a controversy. Eventually, a CID probe was launched as the incident was termed as an anti-government act.

Those responsible acted according to their own agenda, a highly placed official in the CID said in his note on the October 21 incident when the chief minister was visiting the CID headquarters.

This incident took place when three boxes of refreshments were brought from Hotel Radisson Blu in Lakkar Bazaar for Sukhvinder Sukhu, who was on a visit to the CID headquarters to attend a function. However, the inquiry report revealed that the refreshments were given to the CM's security staff instead.

A highly placed official in the CID department wrote in his note that all persons named in the enquiry report have acted in an "anti-CID" and "anti-government" manner due to which the items could not be served to the VVIPs.

Attacking the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party said that Sukhu's administration was not concerned with the development of the state but only about ‘Chief Minister’s samosas.'

(With inputs from PTI)