It’s about the missing ‘chair’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Shimla, the issue that has even reached in the corridors of Himachal Pradesh Police.

The chair graced by PM Modi during the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) rally in Shimla on 27 April had allegedly gone missing soon after the rally was over.

The theft of chair was discovered when the BJP workers had gone to return the chairs which were hired on rent by the party from a furniture house in Shimla.

BJP had reportedly taken 11 special chairs on rent from a furniture store in Lower Bazaar in Shimla and these were placed on stage at the historic Ridge for VIPs, including PM Modi, Union Health and Family Welfare minister J P Nadda, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur among others.

The other chairs were of plastic, while the VIP chairs were of wood. The BJP took the issue lightly, thinking that it might have been the handiwork of some admirer of Narendra Modi. The party paid full amount that is Rs 17,000 to the owner of furniture store.

However, Vinay Sharma, a Deputy Advocate General with the Himachal Pradesh government, filed a complaint with Shimla Police on the missing chair.

“In an email communication to the Superintendent of Police Shimla, D W Negi, Sharma demanded filing of FIR in the case, terming it a “major security lapse,”Police sources said.

Sharma stated in his complaint it was a matter of prestige. “How the chair of PM Modi had gone missing despite strict security measures on the spot,” the complaint said.

The Shimla SP has forwarded the complaint for investigation to Deputy Superintendent of Police (City) Shimla, Rajender Sharma.

“We have received a complaint in the case of missing chair. Since it is filed by third party, the Police first need to register the statement of concerned person i.e. BJP incharge of arrangements in the rally. We would be able to pursue the case further after that,” Rajender Sharma told The Statesman.

Sharma said as BJP leaders were busy in meeting at Palampur which was being attended by party chief Amit Shah, the Police would be able to pursue the matter after that.

“It’s not a big issue for us,” Chief spokesperson of BJP, Rajeev Bindal said, adding the party is overwhelmed over the response PM Modi’s rally had got from general public.