In a lighthearted moment at a joint press conference in Mumbai with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu surprised mediapersons with a witty response.
When Congress leader Pawan Khera offered him a samosa at the Maharashtra Congress office, Sukhu quickly turned the gesture into a commentary on political priorities, saying, “When I arrived, Pawan Khera offered me a samosa.
So, I asked whether the politics here is on samosa or on development and the respect of women. Truth always faces lies, but in the end, truth always wins.”
The moment drew laughter from the audience, but Sukhu’s remarks carried a subtle reference to the ongoing “samosa scandal” that has captured headlines in Himachal Pradesh.
This controversy erupted after a CID inquiry into “missing samosas” at a government programme involving Sukhu attracted ridicule from opposition leaders and critics who questioned the seriousness of the investigation.
Sukhu’s tongue-in-cheek remarks in Mumbai were widely seen as a way to reclaim the narrative, focusing attention back on core issues rather than the snack that had become an internet sensation.
The so-called “samosa investigation” drew significant criticism from the BJP, with opposition leaders accusing the Congress-led government of trivialising state governance.
Leader of the Opposition and former Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur remarked, “Himachal Pradesh is in the headlines these days, but for all the wrong reasons.
Chief Minister Sukhu’s decisions are making the state a laughing stock.” The controversy, Jai Ram claimed, came after a government event at CID headquarters where samosas were ordered but never arrived at the intended location, sparking an inquiry into their whereabouts.
Sukhu, however, dismissed the notion of a formal investigation, stating that the incident was exaggerated by the media.
“The inquiry was about an internal misconduct issue, not about missing samosas,” he clarified, adding that the media’s focus on snacks overshadowed more critical matters.
Himachal CID DGP Sanjeev Ranjan Ojha backed Sukhu’s explanation, describing the incident as a minor confusion over the delivery of refreshments, which was blown out of proportion.
