Gopeshwar, Mar 6 (PTI) The anger sparked by Cabinet Minister Premchand Agarwal's alleged unparliamentary remarks against the hill people in the Uttarakhand Assembly flared up on Thursday with hundreds of people taking to the streets in the state's summer capital Gairsain to demand his dismissal.

Men and women from the hill districts of both Kumaon and Garhwal, holding placards and wearing skullcaps with "Mai Hoon Pahadi" written on them, converged in Gairsain for a rally at the call of Pahad Swabhiman Manch to demand the minister's ouster from the state Cabinet.

Agarwal is a minister in the Pushkar Singh Dhami government, holding key portfolios like finance and parliamentary affairs. He is also the former Speaker of the state Assembly.

Recently, during the Budget Session of the state Assembly, Agarwal reacted angrily to a comment directed towards him by Congress MLA Madan Bisht and said he had not fought for statehood to see this day when a dichotomy was being made between 'pahadi' and 'desi'.

During the argument between Agarwal and opposition MLAs, an abusive word had also come out of the minister's mouth.

Agarwal has already expressed regret over his statement and the state BJP leadership has also summoned him and strictly instructed him to exercise restraint and use appropriate language. People from Rudraprayag, Pauri, Tehri and Uttarkashi in the Garhwal region and Almora, Bageshwar and Nainital districts in Kumaon gathered in Gairsain for the rally.

Located at an equal distance from both Kumaon and Garhwal regions, Gairsain traditionally symbolises the aspirations of the hill people.

Addressing the rally, most of the speakers unanimously raised the demand for the dismissal of the minister.

Convener of the Mool Niwas and Bhoomi Kanoon Sangharsh Samiti Mohit Dimri said, "We would not stop until we take our fight to its logical conclusion. On one hand, we are fighting to save the identity of Uttarakhand through a strict land law and on the other, abuses are being heaped on the hill people openly 25 years after the formation of the state in the Assembly, which is considered the temple of democracy." Tribhuvan Chauhan, who was an independent candidate from the Kedarnath Assembly seat, said the minister was abusing the hill people in the Assembly and the "coward" MLAs of the ruling party were "mute listeners" to it. "None of them reacted," he said.

State member of the Land Law Committee Lushan Todaria said Agarwal abuses people of the hills and earns money by building luxurious hotels in the beautiful valleys of the hills by flouting the rules.

Congress MLA from Dwarahat Madan Bisht said when the minister was abusing people of the hills inside the Assembly, he was the first to register his protest, and now it will be fought on the streets till its conclusion.

Social media activist Birju Mayal said the "arrogant" minister has challenged their honour and every Uttarakhandi will join this fight.

Suresh Bisht, convener of the Janakrosh Rally, said the movement has a one-point demand.

"If the minister who abused the hill people is not dismissed immediately, more agitational programmes will be organised at different places," Bisht said and thanked all those who gathered for the rally.

Rishikesh Municipal Corporation councilor Surendra Negi said that the minister's behaviour has always been of the "lowest level", which he knows very well because he is his neighbour. Bisht is the man Agarwal had beaten up on the streets of Rishikesh in full public view a few years ago. PTI COR ALM ALM MNK MNK