Nainital: Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda visited the world famous Naina Devi temple in Nainital on Monday. Gowda, who is on a visit to Uttarakhand, said he had dreamt of carving out this state from Uttar Pradesh. In his speech from the premises of Red Road on August 15, 1996, he had expressed his government's resolve to grant statehood to Uttarakhand.
During his visit to Naina Devi temple, Gowda did a 'parikrama' and sat in the temple courtyard, reciting mantras. Gowda said that the Naini Lake and Nainital reminds him of Kashmir. The lake in Kashmir is as beautiful as the lake in Nainital and both the lakes appear to be in the same form, Gowda said.
Naina Devi Temple Trust president Rajiv Lochan Shah, deputy secretary Pradeep Shah and other acharyas welcomed the former PM by offering him Maa Naina Devi's statue and draping a 'chunari' on him. The chief acharya of the temple Chandrashekhar Tiwari performed the puja on behalf of Gowda.
Gowda had announced setting up a new Uttarakhand state, but his government was in power for a very short time. Thus, his dream of Uttarakhand state remained unfulfilled. A few years later, Uttar Pradesh was bifurcated into UP and Uttarakhand.
In 1996, the United Front government was formed at the Centre and senior Janata Dal leader and then Karnataka Chief Minister HD Deve Gowda became the Prime Minister. On August 15, 1996, Gowda announced formation of a separate state by clubbing the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh. On April 21, 1997, he had to step down from the PM's post.
Lok Sabha elections were held again in 1998 and Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister for the second time. Vajpayee's government sent the Uttaranchal Bill to the state Assembly through the President. The then BJP government of the state passed the 'Uttaranchal State Bill' with 26 amendments from the Assembly and sent it to the Centre. The Lok Sabha elections were held again in 1999.
Vajpayee became the PM for the third time and his government placed the 'Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2000' in the Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha passed this bill on August 1 and the Rajya Sabha on 10 August. The President approved the bill in August 2000.
The then BJP government of Uttar Pradesh completed all the remaining formalities and announced the formal bifurcation of the state on November 9, 2000 following which, Uttaranchal came into existence.
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