By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 22 Feb: The controversy surrounding Urban Development Minister Premchand Agarwal’s statement during the budget session of the Assembly continues to escalate even as the minister has expressed regret claiming that he has been misunderstood. Congress and various organisations have intensified protests across the state over his alleged remarks against the Pahari community, with demands for action against Aggarwal also intensifying on social media.
Amidst the growing opposition, Agarwal has now retreated. After the uproar yesterday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prem Chand Aggarwal today expressed regret over his statement made inside the House.
As soon as the proceedings of the fifth day of the budget session began, the opposition displayed strong reactions, demanding an apology from Minister Aggarwal. Newly elected Congress MLA Lakhpat Butola even tore a paper in the House, while Aggarwal found himself lacking support from his fellow ministers and MLAs.
Prem Chand Aggarwal, clearly on the backfoot due to the ongoing uproar, stated that all the people living in Uttarakhand are his family. He expressed regret for the inadvertent statement made in front of his family members. However, he added that his statement had been presented in a distorted manner.
He also claimed that some people were misrepresenting his statement. He said that he had said that people from all parts of the country live in Uttarakhand. He added, “We all are from Uttarakhand, and Uttarakhand is ours. Uttarakhand is in our hearts. I had spoken about the entirety of Uttarakhand.” The minister reminded the house that he was born in Uttarakhand, grew up here, and will spend his life and die here. He also claimed that his statement meant that Uttarakhand is a bouquet with various colourful flowers representing its beauty, but the statement was presented in the wrong way.
Agarwal further stated that he feels the sentiments of many people have been hurt by his statement. It is not in his nature to cause pain to anyone. Therefore, he expresses his heartfelt regret for anyone who has been hurt knowingly or unknowingly.
He also mentioned that he has no hesitation in expressing regret in front of the family members as he considers everyone in the state as part of his family.
Despite Agarwal’s apology, the opposition and protesting organizations have continued to demand action, deeming the apology insufficient. It remains to be seen what further steps the government will take to address the matter.
