Uttarakhand Finance Minister resigns following ‘hills vs plains’ row | India News #IndiaFinance

The controversy began on fourth day of the Budget session (February 21) when Congress MLAs accused Aggarwal for speaking against ‘paharis’ after he asked them not to interrupt him while responding to a question.

The four-time MLA from Rishikesh said, “Did we fight for a state to fight like this? Is this why we sacrificed? Is Uttarakhand just for people in the hills? And, who are in the hills? Some came from Madhya Pradesh while a few others from Rajasthan. You are dividing people into Kumaon, Garhwal, paari and desi. You are making snide comments by sitting near senior leaders. Will you object only because I am Aggarwal. This is not right.”

Several social organisations held protests, condemning Aggarwal for his remarks. The Congress workers organised a “shav yatra (funeral procession)” at Almora, raising slogans like “pahar virodhi ye sarkar nahi chalegi (anti-pahari government will not work)”.

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya told The Indian Express“Such thoughts and perceptions about people of the hills are against the dignity of the House and should be criticised. However, I have also asked our MLAs to be careful.”

The row impacted the proceedings of the House the following day as well when Congress’s Badrinath MLA Lakhpat Bhutola tore official papers.

According to state BJP media in-charge Manveer Chauhan, the party’s state chief Mahendra Bhatt has “warned” Aggarwal over his remarks and advised using “appropriate language.”

The ‘hills vs plains’ controversy has been a sensitive issue which is believed to date back to 1815 when the Kumaon region, which accounts for 29 of the 70 Assembly seats, was captured by the East India Company.

The issue was again brought up again in the national general convention of the Indian National Congress in 1938, when the demands for a separate state came up.