National

Uttarakhand Minister Ousted Over ‘Paharis’ Comments: A History of Controversies

Published

1 year ago

March 17, 2025

Four-time BJP MLA Premchand Agarwal recently resigned from his position as Uttarakhand’s finance minister following allegations of making anti-Pahari remarks, a decision that adds to his history of controversies.
Agarwal’s political journey became tumultuous after he served as the speaker of the state assembly in 2017 and later as a cabinet minister in 2022 under Pushkar Singh Dhami’s government.

Upon assuming the role of state finance minister, Agarwal made an off-the-record admission concerning claims of illegal appointments made during his tenure as speaker. In 2022, a video of him asserting that no one could harm him gained traction on social media, yet no action was taken by party leadership in response.
Shortly after, his successor, current assembly speaker Ritu Khanduri, initiated an investigation, appointing a committee led by retired IAS officer D.K. Kotia to delve into the allegations. Following the committee’s findings, Khanduri annulled 228 appointments in the Uttarakhand assembly secretariat made between 2016 and 2021 and reported the matter to the central government, unfortunately without result.
In 2018, Agarwal faced another scandal when his son was appointed as an assistant engineer in the Jal Sansthan department through the Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam Limited (UPNL). Although his son was eventually dismissed due to the uproar, the BJP leadership did not respond to the incident. UPNL, a state-run agency, primarily offers re-employment opportunities to ex-servicemen in various government roles.
In 2019, Agarwal was involved in a verbal dispute with then-Union Minister of State Bhagatram Kothari during a meeting on the Namami Gange Project, which drew disapproval from party officials in Delhi, yet again without consequence.
More recently, in 2023, a video surfaced showing Agarwal physically assaulting a local youth and BJP worker in Dehradun after a brief argument. His anger was allegedly sparked when the BJP worker didn’t clear a path for his vehicle amid heavy traffic. The young man was reportedly stopped by Agarwal’s driver and associates and subsequently attacked.
The tipping point for Agarwal’s resignation from the Dhami cabinet arose from his derogatory remarks about hill residents during an assembly debate with opposition member Madan Singh Bisht on February 21. Agarwal insulted the hill-natives, claiming that Uttarakhand was not established solely for them.
On Sunday afternoon, Agarwal visited Rampur Crossing in Uttar Pradesh to pay tribute to statehood advocates before formally announcing his resignation later that evening in Dehradun. He later met with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to present his resignation letter.
“My statement as a statehood advocate was twisted and misrepresented. A person who has endured hardships for the statehood movement is being unfairly targeted,” Agarwal said tears in his eyes and straining voice before submitting his resignation.
The mounting backlash from across the hill regions in response to his disparaging remarks against the local populace ultimately compelled Agarwal to step down. He began his political career by winning the assembly elections in Rishikesh in 2007 and has since remained undefeated in that constituency.

National

Delhi Techie Found Dead During Honeymoon Trip

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2026

Namma Kudla

National: A 27-year-old IT professional from Delhi was found dead at a homestay in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. The woman, P Radha Gayatri, had gone on a honeymoon trip with her husband.

According to police, the couple checked into a homestay on June 14. Her husband said they had consumed alcohol and went to sleep late at night.

The next morning, he found Gayatri unconscious on the floor. Police said she was lying in a pool of urine, and blood was coming from her nose. She was declared dead at the scene.

The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. Police are investigating the case and waiting for the autopsy report to determine the cause of death.

National

Pakistan Ranked World’s Most Polluted Country in 2025

Published

5 days ago

June 13, 2026

Namma Kudla

Islamabad: Pakistan has been ranked as the most polluted country in the world in 2025, according to a new report released by Swiss air quality monitoring company IQ Air.

The report found that Pakistan’s average PM2.5 pollution level was 13 times higher than the safe limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). PM2.5 refers to tiny harmful particles in the air that can enter the lungs and cause serious health problems.

IQ Air said that only 13 countries and territories met the WHO air quality guideline of less than 5 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air in 2025. This was an improvement from seven countries in 2024.

The report also revealed that 130 out of 143 monitored countries and territories failed to meet the WHO standard.

Bangladesh was ranked as the second most polluted country, while Tajikistan secured the third position. Chad, which was the most polluted country in 2024, ranked fourth in 2025.

Experts said that Chad’s lower ranking may be linked to missing pollution data. In March 2025, the United States ended a global air quality monitoring program due to budget cuts. The program had collected pollution data from US embassies and consulates around the world.

Christi Chester Schroeder, the lead author of the report, said that the loss of data makes it difficult to know the true pollution levels in some countries.

Because of data shortages, Burundi, Turkmenistan and Togo were not included in the 2025 report.

The report also identified Loni in India as the world’s most polluted city. The city recorded an average PM2.5 level of 112.5 micrograms per cubic meter. Hotan in China ranked second with 109.6 micrograms.

According to the report, the 25 most polluted cities in the world were all located in India, Pakistan and China.

Only 14 percent of cities worldwide met the WHO air quality standard in 2025. This was lower than the 17 percent recorded in the previous year.

The report noted that large wildfires in Canada increased air pollution levels across the United States and even affected parts of Europe.

Countries that met the WHO air quality guideline in 2025 included Australia, Iceland, Estonia and Panama.

Meanwhile, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia reported significant improvements in air quality. Experts said wetter and windier La Niña weather conditions helped reduce pollution levels in these countries.

Mongolia also recorded a 31 percent drop in average PM2.5 levels during the year.

Overall, 75 countries reported lower pollution levels in 2025, while 54 countries experienced an increase in air pollution, according to the IQ Air report

National

Indian Air Force AN-32 Transport Aircraft Crashes

Published

5 days ago

June 13, 2026

Namma Kudla

Dispur: An Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 transport aircraft crashed at the Air Force Station in Jorhat, Assam, on Saturday. The aircraft caught fire after the crash.

According to reports, the AN-32 aircraft went down within the premises of the air base. A fire broke out immediately after the accident.

Rescue and firefighting teams rushed to the spot and launched an operation to control the flames. The fire was brought under control after their prompt response.

The exact cause of the crash is not known yet. Authorities are investigating the incident.

So far, there have been no reports of any deaths or injuries. The Indian Air Force has confirmed the accident and said that more details will be shared after a complete assessment of the situation.

Further information is awaited.