Chamoli calls Kumar’s statement in Vidhan Sabha a warning against all Pahadis
PNS | DEHRADUN
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Dharampur MLA Vinod Chamoli has called the statement made by Khanpur MLA Umesh Kumar in the Vidhan Sabha on Friday a subtle warning against all Pahadis working across the country. Kumar had stated in Vidhan Sabha, while responding to the alleged remark by Parliamentary Affairs minister Prem Chand Aggarwal against Pahadis, that discussions creating a divide among Uttarakhand’s natives should not be encouraged, regardless of who started them.
He emphasised that the statehood movement for Uttarakhand was not just the effort of the Pahadi people but also included the contribution of those from the plains. Pointing out that Pahadis from Uttarakhand hold significant positions across the country, including Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and two BJP MLAs in Delhi, Kumar said that if such divisive sentiments are ignited in Uttarakhand’s Vidhan Sabha, they will escalate beyond the State’s borders and lead to unrest in different parts of the country.
Many people have appreciated this statement of Kumar, especially on social media. However, Chamoli claimed that people need to understand what Kumar was actually trying to convey. He claimed that Kumar’s statement, in which he stated that the UP CM and two BJP MLAs from Delhi are originally from Uttarakhand’s mountainous regions, was not just an assertion of Pahadi identity but also a warning about the larger consequences of fuelling divisions between the people of the hills and the plains. Chamoli said that those who have been supporting Kumar’s views need to understand the deeper implications of his words. He said, “Kumar’s statement was a way of telling Uttarakhand’s people that if those in the plains were targeted, it could lead to a chain reaction affecting Pahadis living in other States.” Chamoli stressed that continuing such discussions will only widen the gap among communities and urged that the matter be put to rest. Responding to criticism about his silence on Aggarwal’s statement, Chamoli clarified that he was not present in the Vidhan Sabha when the exchange took place. He also added that the party leadership had already taken cognisance of the issue and that he did not see the need to comment further just for the sake of making a statement.
