'Jungli Murga' on Himachal Pradesh CM's dinner menu? Police register case of defamation, fake news

Shimla: Police here registered a case of defamation and spreading false news on Wednesday after a video surfaced online, showing Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu encouraging his associates to eat "Jungli Murga" (Grey Junglefowl) during a dinner in a remote area here.

Latching on to the issue, the BJP has claimed that 'Jungli Murga' is an endangered species listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2022 and hunting or eating it is illegal.

Police said the case has been registered against unknown people based on a complaint of Kulag village head Suman Chauhan and another local Nitu Kumar.

Last week, the video was widely circulated online in which Sukhu is purportedly heard saying, "Inko do Jungli Murga, hume thodi khana hai (Give them Jungli Murga, I don't want to eat)." He then asks his companions if they wish to eat the dish.

The video was recorded at the remote Tikkar area of Shimla district, where the chief minister was having dinner with Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandi and other officials last Friday and the particular dish was listed on the menu.

The village head, Suman Chauhan, claimed that Grey Junglefowl is not found in their area and the chief minister maintained that he was referring to 'desi murga'.

The BJP has demanded Sukhu's apology over the matter even as the chief minister claimed that local villagers had cooked "desi murga" and he was offering it to others as he doesn't eat non-vegetarian food due to health reasons.

Sukhu has stressed that eating non-vegetarian food is a way of life in villages and slammed the opposition leaders for making an issue out of it.

In her complaint, Chauhan claimed the villagers had cooked traditional food of the area for the chief minister but someone spread a "fake" menu on the Internet and defamed the culture and traditions of the area.

She said that the "fake news" on social and print media has hurt the feelings of the villagers. "Our customs and traditions have been misrepresented," Chauhan said and demanded action on the matter.

Police said a case of publication or circulation of false/rumoured news with the intent to promote feelings of hatred and defamation under sections 353 (2) and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered against unknown people.

BJP leader and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur had earlier claimed that Sukhu had later changed his words from "jungli" to "desi murga".

He pointed out that there are provisions for imprisonment and fines for hunting and eating "Jungli Murga." He accused the chief minister of not only having the dish featured on the dinner menu but also encouraging his associates to eat it.

"Jungli Murga is an endangered species listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2022. Hunting and eating this species is illegal," said BJP spokesperson and state social media in-charge Chetan Bragata last Saturday.

BJP MLA from Dharamshala, Sudhir Sharma had said while the CID was probing who leaked the samosa enquiry report, a new controversy has emerged over serving "jungli murga." He called upon the forest department to take action on the matter.

The incident of three boxes of samosas and cakes being mistakenly served to the CM's security staff during an event on October 21, instead of him, has taken on disproportionate significance following a CID probe that termed the mix-up an "anti-government" act.