DEHRADUN: Political tension continues to escalate in Uttarakhand after Minister Premchand Agarwal made controversial remarks about ‘hill natives’ during the recently concluded budget session.Recently, Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal’s remarks went viral on social media.Minister Uniyal had noted, “People from Bihar and various other communities from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and other states have settled in Uttarakhand. The tribal people are the true natives of Uttarakhand, the rest arrived from other states only 700 to 800 years ago.”The BJP is grappling with the fallout from Agarwal’s comments, prompting state president Mahendra Bhatt to summon the minister to party headquarters. Bhatt emphasised the need for a more measured approach in future statements. He declared, “It is essential that we maintain a disciplined tone moving forward.” Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal’s remarks have reignited the heated debate over the issue. The Congress party has aimed at Minister Subodh Uniyal for his remarks. In response to a viral social media video featuring Uniyal, the party’s chief spokesperson, Garima Dasoni, in an interview with TNIE said, “Subodh Uniyal is claiming that everyone in the state has migrated from other regions.”Dasoni added, “If your (minister’s ) ancestors are from Bihar, then go there and stake your claim on their resources and engage in politics there.” She labeled the statements made by BJP leaders as indicative of an anti-hill mentality.Following the backlash over his remarks regarding the residents of the hills in the assembly, one another video of Cabinet Minister Premchand Agarwal surfaced on social media during Shivratri.In the video, Agarwal states, “I say this with conviction, Lord Bholenath also known as Neelkanth, consumed poison. Today, in this atmosphere, someone will undoubtedly appear in the form of Lord Bholenath, who will drink poison and set things right.” In response to the remarks made by Cabinet Minister Premchand Agarwal, Meenakshi Ghildiyal, the state spokesperson for the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, expressed sharp criticism. Speaking to TNIE, she stated, “Instead of expressing regret for his previous statement or acknowledging his mistake, the minister has reiterated his stance, confirming that he remains steadfast in his earlier comments.”
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