Uttarakhand crisis: Congress moves High Court against President's Rule
Dehradun: Congress leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat moved the High Court in Nainital on Monday against the imposition of President's Rule in the state. Upset over the political development, Rawat called for a meeting of the state's Congress legislators and is likely to hold a protest march in Dehradun today.
Read: BJP exploring all options in UttaraKhand: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
The Centre on Sunday brought Uttarakhand under President’s rule citing a Constitutional breakdown in the wake of a rebellion in the ruling Congress, which slammed the decision calling it a 'murder of democracy' and a 'black' day.
Read: Murder of democracy, Modi's hands dipped in 'blood': Harish Rawat
President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation under Art 356 of the Constitution dismissing the Congress government headed by Harish Rawat and placing the Assembly under suspended animation Sunday morning on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet.
Read: Uttarakhand crisis: Harish Rawat wanted to prove majority, could not meet Governor
Earlier, Uttarakhand Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal disqualified nine Congress legislators, who had rebelled against the Rawat-led government in the state. The decision to disqualify the nine legislators would reduce the effective strength of the 70-member assembly to 61.
Read: Will challenge President Rule, says Kapil Sibal
Meanwhile, condemning the imposition of President’s Rule in the state, Mr Harish Rawat said the PM’s hands were dipped in the “blood” of the “trampled” aspirations of the people and alleged Central rule was the result of a “premeditated conspiracy” hatched by the Centre to dislodge a democratically-elected Congress government in the state. He claimed the BJP was “thirsty for his blood” right from the day he assumed office on February 1, 2014 and did not want his government to stabilise.
Also read: Murder of democracy, says Congress on President’s Rule in Uttarakhand
Welcoming the imposition of President’s Rule, former chief minister and rebel Congress leader Vijay Bahuguna said the Rawat government needed to be dismissed as it was involved in “corruption”.
Read: Uttarakhand crisis: Harish Rawat calls Congress legislators' meeting in Dehradun
The Union Cabinet held an emergency meeting Saturday night presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cut short his visit to Assam to return to New Delhi for this purpose. The Cabinet considered several reports received from the governor, who described the political situation in the state as “volatile” and had expressed apprehensions over a possible pandemonium during the trial of strength in the state Assembly on Monday.
