PrashantNews
After being embroiled in a series of controversies, Uttarakhand Finance Minister Prem Chand Agarwal has again ruffled many feathers over his alleged derogatory remarks that snowballed into a big hill-plain divide issue.
First his son earned him a bad name. Later, an FIR was filed against him after he entered into a public brawl with a ruling BJP worker in Rishikesh.
Agarwal is again facing wrath outside and inside the state assembly amid the raging controversy over the hill-plain divide after he allegedly made derogatory remarks in the House. Agarwal came under stinging criticism from the main opposition Congress with scores of party works burning his effigies in the state. Within BJP, he failed to find any support.
Taking serious note of the issue, Uttarakhand BJP President Mahendra Bhat on Sunday summoned Agarwal to the party’s state headquarters and asked the Minister to keep restrain 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. As the issue snowballed into a major controversy on Friday and Saturday, Speaker Ritu Khanduri repeatedly sought to cool tempers on the issue in the House advising the members not to behave like people standing in the street.
The Speaker later expunged all the derogatory remarks from the proceedings.
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.
“Regret is not enough. Agarwal should express apology to the whole state by holding his both ears,” said state Congress Vice President Suryakant Dhasmana.