President’s Rule in Uttarakhand: Will challenge move in court, says Congress

New Delhi: Lashing out at the Centre government over the imposition of President’s rule in Uttarakhand, Congress decided to challenge the decision in court.

Congress said that they will prove Narendra Modi is trying to “destabilise” governments in all the states ruled by the party.

Senior party leader Kapil Sibal said President’s Rule was imposed a day before the floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly as the Centre knew that Chief Minister Harish Rawat would be able to prove his majority.

”We will approach the courts. We will file a petition challenging the imposition of President’s Rule in the state and demand its revocation,” he told reporters here.

”We will explain the law to them in court. We will show the court that the people in the central government are the ones responsible for destabilising every state which is under Congress rule because their policy is to have ‘Congress mukt Bharat’.

”I am shocked that any government which believes in democracy and believes in the Constitution would seek to wipe off the legacy of a party,” Sibal said, alleging that BJP is a “past master in the art of horse-trading”.

The senior lawyer, who has been representing the party in Supreme Court in the Arunachal Pradesh case, added that he will also raise the issue there and tell the court that the Centre will “replicate” the model in other states as well.

Attacking Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley without taking his name, Sibal said people will not spare those in the Cabinet who are well versed with the law and still took the decision.

Read Also: Harish Rawat government was unconstitutional: Arun Jaitley

Jaitley is believed to have briefed the President late last night about the rationale behind the Cabinet’s recommendation for the imposition of President’s Rule.

”What constitutes a constitutional breakdown? Were there any riots in the state? Who will say whether the Finance Bill (in the Uttarakhand Assembly) has been passed or not? The Speaker of the Assembly or Jaitley?

”Then they say that there was a sting. First you conduct a fabricated sting and then you impose President’s Rule”, Sibal said, adding that no Prime Minister can resort to imposition of President’s Rule in Uttarakhand.

Defending the disqualification of rebel Congress MLAs by the Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker, Sibal said these legislators had on March 18 signed a petition to Governor KK Paul demanding dismissal of the Harish Rawat government.

”The nine legislators had signed the petition to the Governor which was on the letterhead of the Leader of the Opposition. That itself amounts to disqualification,” Sibal said.

He added that the government will never bring the Proclamation of Emergency before the Parliament as it does not enjoy a majority in Rajya Sabha.

”It is a temporary move to save the disqualification (of rebel Congress MLAs). And they accuse us of horse-trading. If there is any animal bigger than a horse... Then Arunji is resorting to the trading of that animal... Because he wants ‘Congress mukt Bharat’.

”They (BJP) have nothing to do with Bharat Mata. They will come to power and say Bharat Mata ki Jai,” Sibal said.

Terming the move as “Bharat Mata ki Bhay (fear)”, Sibal said BJP wants to run the government with fear.

”They (the Centre) want to run the government by instilling fear... Among students, in Hyderbad and Delhi, among the academic community, government departments and individuals or destabilise the government using their power. Their DNA is intolerance.

”They want to replicate the Arunachal Pradesh experiment in Uttarakhand and other Congress-ruled states. Their policy is to bring people from the Congress party into their fold and then claim that the government is in minority and ensure that disqualification does not happen.

”And the moment there is a chance of members getting disqualified, they impose President’s Rule,” claimed Sibal.

(with inputs from PTI)