Himachal Pradesh Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Friday met Congress state in-charge Rajiv Shukla and general secretary in-charge KC Venugopal in Delhi. His visit came a day after he was criticised by the Congress for announcing that the eateries in Himachal will have to display their owner’s and staff’s names and display their identity cards at their shops.
It was being said that Singh was called to Delhi to be reprimanded as the high command was miffed by his statement and the Himachal government’s decision, which was later retracted. However, the Public Works Minister Singh, said that he was not summoned by the party and was just in the capital for a routine visit to apprise the senior leaders of the work being done in Himachal. He also stressed that his remarks did not have any “communal overtones”.
“I was not called by anybody. I am a loyal soldier of the party. Whenever I come to Delhi, I meet the leadership here and apprise them of the work that the organisation and the government are doing in Himachal. It’s a routine affair,” he told NDTV.
Himachal Congress in-charge Rajiv Shukla had said that the nameplate matter emerged after the state assembly speaker Kuldeep Singh constituted a committee to designate specific areas for street vendors, including those who have eatries or sell other items. The seven-member committee was headed by Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan for the framing of a policy for ‘Street Vendors.’
“They will be given licences and regulated so that police do not harass them. The designated places will require identification such as Aadhaar cards and licences but there is no requirement for them to display a sign stating their name as the owner,” he said.
Vikramaditya Singh stated that while people from all over India are welcome in Himachal Pradesh, it is the duty of the state to address the “apprehensions” of its people.
“People from all parts of the country and walks of life are welcome in Himachal Pradesh, from all religions, castes and regions. But as a state, it is our responsibility to maintain law and order. We have to address the apprehension of the people of the state,” he said.
Stressing that his remarks had “no communal overtones”, Singh said that every state takes certain steps to ensure its safety.
“It is our responsibility to have vending zones across the country with registration certificates, whether its Aadhaar card, GST number or anything else. So there’s no communal overtones to any of it. Every state does it for their own security,” Singh said.
“I am standing my ground that the interest of the people of Himachal Pradesh is our top-most priority,” he emphasised.
The Congress leader had said on Thursday that the decision for name display at was taken to maintain the “internal security” of the state, considering “apprehensions” expressed by locals about the increased numbers of migrants in Himachal.
However, when the announcement drew criticism, the state government later said that no such decision had been taken.
