Shimla: Three misplaced boxes of samosas and pastries, accusations of snack-related sabotage, and an inquiry into the matter by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) have taken over the political scene in the state of Himachal Pradesh, triggering jibes from the Opposition.

It began when the samosas and cakes, purportedly meant for Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during his visit to CID headquarters on 21 October, went missing. It was eventually found that they had been served to the security staff instead. As the murmurs of “snackgate” spread, the CID launched an inquiry to trace the origin of the refreshment relay, producing a meticulously written three-page report that has since become a lightning rod for both ridicule and outrage.

Workers from the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha even staged a “samosa march” Saturday, where they were seen feeding samosas to a poster of Chief Minister Sukhu.

Sukhu has, however, attempted to clarify that the inquiry was “not about samosas”, but was meant to look into the alleged misbehaviour by officials. “The CID probe was never about samosas,” he said. “Yet, the Opposition has twisted this to make our government a laughing stock!”

While opposition leaders issued statements decrying the “samosa probe”, the CID report revealed that an officer of IG (Inspector General) rank had directed a sub-inspector (SI) to procure snacks from the Radisson Hotel in Shimla’s Lakkar Bazaar for the chief minister’s visit. As these snacks passed through a web of rank and file, they ultimately found their way to the mechanical transport section rather than the CM himself.

In fact, an IG officer condemned the snafu as “anti-government and anti-CID” in his note. Five officers have been issued show cause notices after the report hinted at their role in the matter.

The political fallout has only continued to grow. Satpal Singh Satti, former BJP state president, remarked that the police should prioritise “actual scandals”, instead of nibbling away at “petty matters” like missing samosas. Senior party leader Randhir Sharma also accused the Congress government of being “obsessed with the CM’s refreshments”, instead of focusing on governance.

Former CM Thakur even commented, “When the state burns, you don’t put out the flames with tea and samosas. This government is out of touch with Himachal’s real issues.”

Even political analysts have been left scratching their heads over how a box of samosas could lead to such fervent discourse. “It’s rare to see a state’s most heated debate revolve around a tea-time snack,” remarked one analyst, “but here we are!”

On social media, the ‘scandal’ has erupted into a meme fest. Hashtags, like “#SamosaScandal” and “#Snackgate2024” are trending nationwide. A comment by a user read, “The CID can find a samosa in a room full of officers, but can’t locate funding for state infrastructure!”

Also Read: 2 yrs into term, Himachal’s Sukhu govt is under fire for ‘misgovernance’ & unfulfilled poll promises