Party policies supreme but state issues equally important: Vikramaditya on street vendors row

Shimla: Amid controversy over his remarks over making street vendors display their names outside their shops mandatory, Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh on Monday said party policies are supreme but at the same time the issues of state interest are equally important.

Singh who had courted controversy last week with his statement that it would be mandatory for street vendors to display their identity cards at their shops on the pattern of Uttar Pradesh.

While interacting with the media persons here the state Urban Development minister said that policies of the Congress party are supreme but he will never desist from raising the issues of public interest.

Singh, who returned from Delhi after meeting the Congress National president Mallikarjun Kharge and other central leaders, said that "I’m a committed worker of the party and taking the ideology of the Congress and directions of the party central leader ahead is my responsibility".

Discussions were held with the high command in detail and their only concern was the way it was linked with another state (Uttar Pradesh) to give a communal colour, he said.

Referring to his statement regarding display of name by street vendors, the minister said, “I have been misquoted in the media and a political colour was given to communalise the issue.”

He asserted that provision of identification and registration of outsiders already exists in Himachal Pradesh Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, which was implemented in the state with some amendments in 2016.

Further, the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 2023 also ruled that the act should be implemented by creating vending and non-vending zones in municipal areas, he said.

Moreover, the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihoods and Regulation) Act 2024 Shimla Municipal Corporation also states that registration and verification of vendors is mandatory and the committee constituted by the Vidhan Sabha to frame the street vendors policy would take a call.

He said Himachal is a tourist state and internal security is an important issue and if incidents like Sanjauli mosque protest recur, the tourist would be discouraged to come to the state.

"I could have been misquoted but my intention was clear. I and my late father Virbhadra Singh have always raised issues of the people of the state constructively," he said and added that he had gone to Delhi on his pre-schedule engagements and the reports in the media that I was summoned were incorrect.

"I am answerable only to the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, High Command and party president", he said.

The minister had drawn flack for his earlier comment that it would be mandatory for street vendors, especially those selling food items, to display their identity cards at their shops on the pattern of Uttar Pradesh.

The state government had already distanced itself by saying that it had not taken any decision in this regard.

Congress general secretary in-charge organisation KC Venugopal had said that the issue has been blown out of proportion and we have appraised the central leaders about the same.

The AICC's Himachal Pradesh in-charge Rajiv Shukla said on Thursday maintained that the street vendors will be given licences and regulated so that police do not harass them. The designated places will require identification such as Aadhaar cards and licences but there is no requirement for them to display a sign stating their name as the owner.

Identification of outsiders should be done to know the purpose of visit in view of the internal security of the state but "we differ from the ideology and working style of the BJP and do not approve of it", Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh, had said on Saturday.