PrashantNews
Uttarakhand Finance Minister Prem Chand Agarwal who is facing trouble after the hill-plain controversy on Wednesday presented a bouquet to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami as part of the Holi festival celebrations.
Interestingly, the meeting between the two leaders came after the protests in the hill state against Agarwal began subsiding.
“I had a cordial meeting with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. On this auspicious occasion, I wished him a happy Holi, the great festival of colours,” Agarwal wrote on the social media. In another video, he is seen dancing to the tune of a Garhwali song to celebrate Holi.
Sharing his picture with the Chief Minister, Agarwal apparently tried to send a message to the people in Uttarakhand that he may escape action on the issue. Agarwal had allegedly used derogatory language in the Vidhan Sabha last month inviting wrath from the main opposition Congress party which had been demanding his removal from the cabinet.
After the issue snowballed into a major controversy, Dhami flew to Delhi where he met top party leaders over the issue. However, when Dhami came back to Dehradun he just dismissed the issue saying he knew nothing apparently suggesting there will be no change in the cabinet.
Fueling speculation, media reports had indicated that Dhami may rejig his cabinet shortly also.
The pressure has been mounting on the BJP high command to remove Agarwal after the controversy became a major issue in the state. A series of protest rallies were held in parts of Uttarakhand over the issue in the past despite Agarwal offering regret.
Lok Sabha MP and BJP’s national media head Anil Baluni on Friday also indirectly demanded the removal of Agarwal. “This (remarks by Agarwal) is painful and unfortunate. You know I am chief national spokesman of BJP, I have to follow the propriety. But I have raised this issue at the party forum,” Baluni told reporters in Kotdwar town of Pauri district. Earlier Trivendra Singh Rawat has also made a statement obliquely seeking removal of Agarwal. “This incident has happened for the first time…The centre must have taken or must be taking cognizance of the incident,” Rawat had said in a video interview when asked to comment on the controversy.
During the budget session in February, Agarwal lost his cool after being interrupted by Congress member Madan Singh Bisht. Agarwal allegedly used some offensive words which led to uproar inside and outside the House. The issue later snowballed into a major controversy.
Agarwal was in news in 2023 after he allegedly bashed Surendra Singh Negi, a BJP worker in Rikshikesh following which an FIR was filed against him.
Agarwal’s son Piyush was under scanner early this year 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.
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.