PrashantNews
Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has obliquely demanded action against state Finance Minister Prem Chand Agarwal who is facing trouble amid the raging hill-plain controversy after he allegedly made derogatory remarks in the House.
“..This incident has happened for the first time…The centre must have taken or must be taking cognizance of the incident,” Rawat said in a video interview when asked to comment on the controversy. He said when he was the Chief Minister, he had apologized on the behalf of a sitting BJP MLA who made an inappropriate remark against a senior woman legislator.
Rawat’s remark came after state BJP President Mahendra Bhat on Sunday summoned Agarwal to the party’s state headquarters and asked the Minister to keep restraint on the issue.
After facing widespread criticism, Agarwal chose to regret apparently to bury the hatchet. “….I pray to everyone that if they are feeling offended on my statement then I express my regret,” Agarwal told a news channel after he was denounced as anti-hill in the state over his alleged remarks.
Agarwal on Friday lost his cool after being interrupted by Congress member Madan Singh Bisht. The issue later snowballed into a major controversy.
Six years after facing the wrath of the opposition on his appointment in the Jal sansthan, Piyush Agarwal, son of Agarwal, was under scanner for allegedly cutting khair trees without permission for the construction of a resort in Pauri district.
Under the direction of Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami, a case was registered against Piyush Agarwal by the forest department for cutting two khair trees which are protected species. A total of 26 trees were cut at Khairkhal area near Neelkanth temple in Pauri district. Out of the 26 trees, two belong to khair protected species. State Forest Minister Subodh Unniyal has ordered an inquiry into the cutting trees.
On the other hand, Piyush Agarwal defended the decision to cut khair trees saying he has taken prior permission from the concerned revenue officials. In case of any violation, Agarwal said he was ready to pay penalty.
In 2018, Piyush Agarwal was forced to resign from the post of assistant engineer in Jal Sansthan after his father faced severe criticism from the opposition parties for allegedly helping his son to get the job through ex-army quota. At that time, Agarwal was the state assembly Speaker. Actually, Piyush Agarwal had got the job of assistant engineer through Uttarakhand Poorv Sainik Kalayan Nigam Limited (UPNL), an organization set for the welfare of the ex-servicemen.
Agarwal was in news in 2023 after he bashed Surendra Singh Negi, a BJP worker in Rikshikesh following which an FIR was filed against him.