Collage showing Himachal CM Sukhu and samosas.
Credit: X/@SukhuSukhvinder, iStock Photo
New Delhi: A day after a row erupted over a CID probe into 'samosas' delivered to his staff instead of him, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Friday said the probe was not into samosas which the media has turned it into, but it was to ascertain "misbehavior" of officials.
Sukhu also termed as "childish" the BJP's attack on him over the issue, saying the BJP has been running a smear campaign against the Congress government in the state ever since it won 40 seats in the last assembly elections.
"The probe was about misbehaviour of officials but the media has turned the CID probe into samosas. The DGP has already given a clarification in this regard," he told reporters here.
Sukhu also accused the BJP of running a campaign to run down his government since 'Operation Lotus' to dislodge his government failed.
"The BJP's behaviour in raking up this issue is childish and laughable," he said, adding that the BJP has been trying to tarnish his government's image ever since it failed in the assembly polls and subsequently also did not succeed in running it down.
Samosas and cakes meant for Sukhu were served to his security staff instead, the goof-up snowballing into controversy and necessitating a CID probe that termed it 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.
Attacking the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, the opposition BJP said the Sukhu dispensation is not concerned about the development of the state but its only concern seems to be the "Chief Minister's Samosa".
The brouhaha started when three boxes of the refreshments were brought from Hotel Radisson Blue in Lakkar Bazaar to be served to the chief minister who had gone to the CID headquarters to attend a function. However, the eatables were served to the CM security staff, according to the enquiry report conducted by a deputy SP rank officer.
The report stated that an officer of IG rank had asked a sub-inspector (SI) of police to get some eatables from the hotel for the CM's visit. The SI in turn directed an assistant SI (ASI) and a head constable to bring the refreshments.
The ASI and the head constable fetched the refreshments from the hotel in three sealed boxes and informed the SI.
The police officers in their statement said when they asked the tourism department staff on duty whether the snacks in the three boxes were to be served to the chief minister, they said they were not included in the menu.
The enquiry report said only the said SI, who deputed the ASI and the head constable with the task of getting the snacks from the hotel, was aware of the fact that the three boxes were for Sukhu.
The lady inspector, to whom the food items were handed over, did not ask any senior officer and sent the refreshments to the mechanical transport (MT) section which deals with refreshments.
The three boxes of refreshments exchanged several hands in the process.
A highly placed official in the CID department wrote in his noting that all persons named in the enquiry report have acted in "anti-CID" and "anti-government" manner due to which the items could not be served to the VVIPs.