Tell bureaucracy, this govt won’t fall, Himachal Dy CM tells Chief Secretary

The Deputy CM said that the people who have congregated to attend the function, including the leaders, party supporters, and the state employees are witnesses to the Congress government’s achievements.

Saxena and DGP Atul Garg were seated on the second row on stage, alongside other senior bureaucrats, when Agnihotri made the remarks. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, state party chief Pratibha Singh, and AICC in-charge Rajeev Shukla were seated in the front row.

Multiple sources within the Congress said Agnihotri’s remarks were aimed at addressing a perceived sentiment among some government employees and bureaucrats that the government might not complete its full five-year term due to internal conflicts.

Meanwhile, when contacted, Saxena refused to comment on Agnihotri’s remarks. “I will not like to make any comment. You should ask Deputy Chief Minister about this. But yes, if he wanted to convey any message to bureaucracy, he will definitely tell it to the chief secretary and not the DGP,” Saxena told The Indian Express.

In his address, Agnihotri also took a jibe at DGP Atul Verma.

Referring to an inquiry into the samosa incident, where snacks reportedly meant for the CM were consumed by his staff, Agnihotri said that the savouries were maent for the police and not the CM.

“DGP sahib ko apna samosa sambhal ke rakhna chahiye tha. CM na samosa khate hai, na hume khane dete hai (DGP should have taken care of the samosas. The CM neither eats samosa nor let us eat it). The CM’s name shouldn’t be dragged in this controversy,” he added.