BJP calls Congress govt 'laughing stock' as 'samosa politics' heats up in Himachal

Shimla: A day after a goof-up over serving snacks to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu snowballed into a major controversy necessitating a CID probe, state BJP chief Satpal Satti on Friday claimed the Congress government has become a "laughing stock" for ordering an "inquiry into samosas".

"The police should focus on the many scandals, from the CM’s office to the secretariat, instead of wasting their time on petty matters," Satti said in a statement issued here.

The incident occurred on October 21 when samosas and cake meant for the chief minister -- who was visiting the CID headquarters here -- were accidentally served to his security staff, necessitating a CID probe that termed it an "anti-government" act.

"It is surprising to hold an inquiry into such a small issue and then term the mistake as anti-government. I feel the Congress government is not bothered about the people, as their main concern is how samosas are being served at their functions. This government has totally failed and become a laughing stock," Satti said.

However, the media advisor to the chief minister, Naresh Chauhan, claimed the state government did not order any inquiry and it could be an internal matter of the CID.

"The incident has nothing to do with the government. Some people are hatching a conspiracy to show the government in a bad light. The BJP should behave like a responsible opposition," Chauhan said.

Reiterating that it was an internal matter, CID Director General Ranjhan Ojha said, "The chief minister was the chief guest at the launch of a data centre for the cybercrime wing.

"After the event, the officials were having tea in the office when someone asked where were the eatables brought for the function and we said, 'pata karo kya hua' (find out what happened)." Ojha added, "Neither have we issued any notice nor have we called for any explanation. The matter should not be politicised. We simply asked for clarification as to what happened, and a written report was submitted. We have no intention of taking action against anyone.” Meanwhile, BJP's chief spokesperson Randhir Sharma said in a statement, “The state government is not concerned with the development of Himachal Pradesh. Its sole focus seems to be 'chief minister’s samosa'. This incident highlights a lack of coordination between the officials and employees, as well as negligence on their part.” Sharpening the attack, BJP spokesperson Chetan Bragata said in a video statement that an "inquiry into samosas" shows the "misplaced priorities" of the state government, especially at a time when the general public is grappling with several pressing issues.

"Developmental works have come to standstill in the past two years and the chief minister should pay attention to them and not such petty things," Bhagata said.