Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for serving “wild chicken” at a public event in Kufri. The stir began when Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu attended a public event in the remote Kufri area of Shimla, where the dinner reportedly included wild chicken, along with bichu booti (a local herb) and bread made from maize and wheat.
A video circulating on social media shows Sukhu in a conversation where he is heard saying, “Inko do jungli murga, humein thodi khana hai” (Give them wild chicken, I don’t want to eat). In the video, Sukhu then asks those near him if they want to eat the dish. Watch the clip here:
However, CM Sukhu slammed the BJP, accusing the party of focusing on trivial issues. As reported by ANI, the Himachal CM argued that the opposition party’s fixation on such matters resulted from its inability to address more significant, pressing concerns. Sukhu said, “What should I say about something that did not happen? It was not a wild chicken; it is part of their tribal culture. When I said I don’t consume non-veg food, they clarified that it wasn’t a store-bought chicken but country chicken from their village. We didn’t go there to eat; we went to listen to people’s problems. BJP has no real issues, so they are picking up bizarre issues like this.”
Earlier, an animal rights NGO in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, filed a formal complaint over the “wild chicken” controversy, calling for an investigation, ANI reported.
The NGO approached the Chief Conservator of the Wildlife Department, stating that jungle fowl (referred to as “wild chicken” or “junglee murga”) is protected under the second schedule of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The organisation further argued that it is illegal to kill or consume jungle fowl, demanding action regarding the alleged violation.
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“We received information that a ‘junglee murga’ was served at the CM’s dinner. Jungle fowl comes under the second schedule of the Wildlife Protection Act, and it cannot be killed or served in food. We feel it is morally wrong to consume or promote its killing; we are supposed to protect wild animals. If the chief of the state, our CM, would promote eating ‘junglee murga’, we disagree with him. So we have come here to file a complaint with the forest department to inquire into the matter and take action if the bird was killed, eaten or its hunting promoted,” Dheeraj Mahajan, Head of the NGO, said.
In response, CM Sukhu denied eating wild chicken, explaining that he was offered country (desi) chicken by local villagers but didn’t consume it.
“Local villagers offered me country chicken, but I don’t eat it. A channel broadcast this as if I was eating chicken. Non-veg food is part of life in the hills, and Jairam Thakur is making statements about it,” Sukhu said in a video released by his office.
The incident sparked political stir, with animal rights groups and the BJP condemning the serving of wild chicken. Both groups demanded an apology from the Chief Minister and called for action against those responsible for serving the controversial dish.
