Himachal CM's samosas, cakes served to security staff; probe on
What's the story
A Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe has been initiated into an incident where refreshments meant for Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu were accidentally served to his security staff.
The incident occurred on October 21 when Sukhu visited the CID headquarters in Shimla.
The refreshments, including three boxes of samosas and cakes from Hotel Radisson Blue, were meant for the chief minister but were eaten by his security personnel.
Probe details
Investigation reveals sequence of events
The probe into the incident was carried out by a deputy superintendent of police (SP) rank officer.
According to the inquiry report, an inspector general (IG) rank officer had asked a sub-inspector to make arrangements of refreshments.
This sub-inspector then handed over the work to an assistant sub-inspector and a head constable who picked the items from Hotel Radisson Blue.
However, confusion arose when tourism department staff said these snacks weren't part of the official menu planned for Sukhu.
Incident fallout
Miscommunication leads to refreshments mix-up
The report further revealed that only the sub-inspector knew the refreshments were meant for Sukhu and a lady inspector, who received the food items, didn't check with senior officers about their intended recipient.
Consequently, she dispatched them to the mechanical transport section in charge of refreshments, which resulted in them being served to the security staff instead of Sukhu.
Political backlash
Opposition criticizes government over refreshments incident
The incident has drawn flak from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
BJP chief spokesperson Randhir Sharma said, "The state government is not concerned about the development of the state and its only concern seems to be the 'chief minister's samosa.'"
He said this incident has become a major topic in Himachal Pradesh's political circles, pointing out coordination issues in government operations for Very Very Important Person (VVIP) events.