Shimla: With no joint clarification yet from the Delhi Police and the Himachal Pradesh Police to ease mounting tensions, the confrontation between the two forces in the AI Impact Summit 2026 episode has taken a sharp political turn, triggering serious questions over federal propriety and inter-state trust.
A BJP delegation led by Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday, submitting a detailed memorandum alleging political interference in a lawful criminal investigation by the Delhi Police and misuse of the state police machinery by the Himachal Pradesh government.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Thakur said the controversy has cast a shadow over India’s global image at a time when the AI Impact Summit—held under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi—had projected India as a serious global technology leader. He alleged that an alleged semi-nude protest by Youth Congress activists during the summit was a “deliberate attempt to embarrass the nation on an international मंच,” claiming it was carried out at the behest of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.
According to Thakur, after an FIR was registered in Delhi, the Delhi Police began a lawful investigation and traced some accused to Himachal Pradesh. He alleged that certain Youth Congress leaders involved in the incident were given shelter in Himachal Sadan and later moved to private locations. “The Chief Minister has himself admitted that room bookings were routed through the Chief Minister’s Office. This clearly points to organised political protection,” Thakur claimed.
He said Delhi Police teams arrested three accused from a hotel in the Chanshal Valley near Rohru—individuals who have no permanent links with Himachal Pradesh. “The obvious question is: how did they reach here, and who facilitated their stay?” he asked, alleging misuse of state resources to provide safe haven.
The controversy escalated further when Delhi Police teams were allegedly stopped at Dharampur, and an FIR for abduction was registered against them at 8:11 pm, despite the officers possessing arrest memos, seizure documents and later, a transit remand granted by a magistrate. Thakur alleged that even after the court order, Delhi Police were obstructed and their vehicle was sought to be seized, leading to nearly 24 hours of standoff between the two forces.
“This is not a routine law-and-order issue. Two state police forces being pitched against each other without institutional clarity is a direct blow to the federal structure,” Thakur said, warning that the absence of a joint statement or confidence-building clarification from either police force has only deepened the trust deficit and fuelled speculation of political pressure.
The BJP leader accused the Himachal Pradesh government of functioning under directions from the Congress high command. “On the instructions of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, Devbhoomi Himachal is being converted into a political shelter. If the police machinery is being used for partisan ends, it amounts to a violation of the constitutional oath,” he said.
Thakur urged the Governor to recommend a high-level probe through the Centre into the entire episode, including an independent inquiry into the role of the Chief Minister’s Office and strict action against officials and political actors found to have obstructed justice. “This case is no longer about one arrest. It is about India’s international credibility, the rule of law, and the fragile trust between state institutions,” he said.
The BJP delegation included MLAs Vinod Kumar, Balbir Verma and Jeet Ram Katwal, former minister Suresh Bhardwaj, and several party office-bearers and local leaders, underscoring the party’s intent to escalate the matter politically unless clarity emerges from the concerned police agencies.
