Dehradun, 22 February (HS): On the fifth day of the Uttarakhand Assembly session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Premchand Agarwal's comment on 'Pahadis' was once again in the news.
Uttarakhand Finance Minister Premchand Aggarwal stirred a controversy in the state assembly after stating that Uttarakhand was not made only for Pahadis. His comment came while responding to opposition query, but it quickly escalated when an MLA remarked that Aggarwal himself was from outside Uttarakhand.
Reacting sharply to the comment, Aggarwal countered by challenging the speaker to first hold a debate on the 'Pahad vs Maidan' issue before moving on to other matters. His statement caused a stir in the house, triggering reactions.
Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan intervened to defuse the situation, asserting that Uttarakhandis should not be divided along regional lines. We are neither Pahadi nor Maidani, we are Uttarakhandi, she emphasized, signaling her intent to put an end to the controversy. Despite her efforts to maintain decorum, the issue spilled over onto social media, where Aggarwal faced backlash for his remarks.
Amidst the growing controversy, Agarwal apologized in the House and expressed regret.
Premchand Agarwal said that all the people living in Uttarakhand are his family and he has no hesitation in expressing regret for what he said inadvertently in front of his family members. He alleged that his words are being presented in a distorted manner.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said , some people are presenting my statement in a wrong way by twisting it. I had said that people from all parts of the country live in the whole of Uttarakhand. We all belong to Uttarakhand and Uttarakhand is ours. He said that Uttarakhand is in our hearts. I had talked about the whole of Uttarakhand. He said that my purpose and the meaning of the statement was that Uttarakhand is a bouquet, in which all kinds of colorful flowers are its beauty. My statement was presented in a wrong way.
He said, I feel that the feelings of many people have been hurt by my statement. It is not my nature to hurt anyone because of me. Therefore, I express my heartfelt regret for whoever has been hurt knowingly or unknowingly.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
