Controversy Surrounds Himachal Minister's Street Vendor Remarks

Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh faces criticism over remarks about mandatory displays of names by street vendors. The Congress party has reprimanded Singh, affirming adherence to its policies. Singh claims he was misquoted. The state government clarified no such decision was made, distancing itself from Singh's comments.

In a heated controversy, Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh has come under fire for his comments suggesting that street vendors should mandatorily display their names. The Congress leadership on Friday expressed its disapproval, underscoring that no individual should deviate from the party's policies and ideologies, according to insiders.

KC Venugopal, Congress general secretary in-charge of the organisation, held a meeting with Singh and emphasized the party's commitment to Rahul Gandhi's ideology of combating hatred with love. Singh, in response, claimed he was misquoted by the media.

The Himachal Pradesh government clarified on Thursday that it had not made any decision enforcing street vendors to display their names. Singh, who is also the public works and urban development minister, had earlier stated the proposal was modeled after a directive from the Uttar Pradesh government, citing local concerns over rising migrant numbers. The Congress's central leadership intervened, leading to the state's official denial of Singh's claims.

(With inputs from agencies.)