Shimla, Dec 19
The controversy surrounding Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s alleged serving of junglefowl, a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act, at a public dinner has caused a stir in the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. The issue, which originated from a viral video and social media posts, was raised during an Opposition adjournment motion on Thursday.
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Responding in the Assembly, the CM clarified that the government had not ordered any FIRs in the matter and expressed his lack of knowledge about any such complaints. “I urge the person who filed the FIR to reconsider,” he said, addressing the Assembly member from Chopal, Balbir Verma, and asking him to intervene.
Earlier, BJP members, led by Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur, accused the government of attempting to suppress the media by filing FIRs against journalists and a BJP MLA who reported on the alleged junglefowl incident. They staged a protest before the session began, carrying cutouts of the junglefowl to mock the government for what they termed as “vendetta politics.”
Congress rebel and BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma also criticized the CM, alleging a pattern of targeting journalists for covering news unfavorable to the government. He highlighted previous instances where FIRs were registered against media persons, calling it an attack on press freedom.
Meanwhile, on December 17 an FIR was lodged at the Kupvi police station under Sections 353 and 356 of the Indian Penal Code, accusing media houses of defamation and spreading false information. The opposition demanded clarity and action against those responsible for hunting the protected species instead of targeting the press.
The junglefowl controversy continues to disrupt Assembly proceedings, with BJP legislators promising to raise the issue further.
