Samosa Scandal FIR: Attack on Press Freedom, Says Jai Ram Thakur.

Shimla: Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday accused the Sukhu government of turning “directionless, anarchic, and dictatorial,” alleging that it is using the so-called “samosa scandal” to muzzle the media.

Thakur questioned the government’s priorities, stating, “The entire police machinery was wasted on investigating who ate a samosa, and now the CID is hell-bent on finding out who leaked the case to the media.

Meanwhile, crime is skyrocketing—16 murders in the last 50 days, five youth dead due to drug overdose in just one month, and illegal mining happening openly within 200 meters of an SP office. Yet, the police turn a blind eye. But when it comes to samosas, the CID is working overtime.”

He slammed the recent FIR filed by the CID, calling it “laughable, conspiratorial, and a direct attack on press freedom.”

Referring to Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Thakur said, “This is nothing but an attempt to silence the media through fear and intimidation. The message is clear—write against the government, and you’ll face FIRs.

Over two dozen FIRs have already been filed against journalists and ordinary citizens for speaking out against the government’s failures.

Now, the government is using the samosa scandal to collectively target the media and the people.”

Thakur demanded that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu clarify how many “sensitive cases” have been leaked to the media and explain the alleged threat they posed to the state’s security and sovereignty.

“Also, what kind of confidentiality does a samosa investigation involve, and how is it a matter of public interest?” he asked.

Calling out the government’s “authoritarian” mindset, Thakur urged the Chief Minister to focus on real issues like drug abuse and illegal mining rather than “plotting to crush the media.”

He also questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s silence: “Where is Rahul Gandhi, the self-proclaimed defender of the Constitution? How can his party’s government trample on people’s fundamental rights like freedom of expression?”

Thakur warned the Sukhu government against imposing an “undeclared emergency” in the state, asserting that its attempts to suppress dissent will not succeed.