In a twist that’s drawing widespread amusement and critique, the Himachal Pradesh Government has clamped down on sharing Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s photos without prior clearance, as an curious ‘samosa scandal’ brews. The CID is busy investigating the “missing” samosas, sparking a storm on social media and jabs from opposition leaders questioning the government’s priorities.

The directive, issued by the state’s Department of Information and Public Relations, applies to all photos taken at official meetings, events, and public engagements involving the Chief Minister. The order, which was circulated to secretaries and departmental heads, emphasized the potential risks of photos that may “portray inappropriate gestures”, which could harm the Chief Minister’s image. “Unregulated sharing can distort public perception and damage the reputation of the Chief Minister and the Government,” the notice asserted.

The unusual move has sparked strong reactions, especially as it coincides with a social media frenzy and scornful remarks from the BJP regarding a peculiar “samosa” incident. BJP chief JP Nadda, during a rally, questioned the Government’s focus, quipping, “In Himachal, they promised unemployment benefits and jobs. But today, they’re investigating who ate the samosas!”

The snack saga began last month when samosas from Shimla’s Radisson Hotel, intended for Chief Minister Sukhu during an official event, ended up being served to staffers by mistake. This sparked a curious internal CID probe, prompting a series of amusing theories and political jabs. While the Chief Minister insisted that the probe pertains to a case of “misbehaviour” and not missing samosas, Deputy CID General Sanjeev Ranjan Ojha clarified, “This is an internal matter, not a samosa investigation. The CM doesn’t even eat samosas!”