New Delhi: Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa has cited 'cow slaughter' as a sign of complete collapse of law and order in the state while recommending President's Rule, Indian Express reported today.
Governor's counsel, Satya Pal Jain, in the Supreme Court yesterday produced photographs of a 'cow' (Mithun) being slaughtered outside Raj Bhavan as a material justifying the proclamation of emergency.
This came after the top court yesterday asked the Governor to submit the report he gave to the Central government making the recommendation for President's rule in the state
"We will show everything to the court. We will show you (judges) the photographs of cow slaughter too... it is there in one of the reports," Jain said, adding that a series of reports had been sent by the Governor to the President and the 'Ministry of Home Affairs'.
On December 17, according to the Governor's letter to the President, after the Gauhati High Court kept in abeyance the Governor's decisions to advance the assembly session, several Congress leaders sacrificed a Mithun outside Raj Bhavan.
Mithun, the pride animal called as 'Cattle of Hilly Region' of north-eastern hilly region and tropical rain forest of China. The animal plays an important role in the day to day socioeconomic life of the local tribal population. The animal is recognised as the state animal in Arunachal Pradesh.
Terming the matter of imposing Central rule in the state as 'too serious a matter', the apex court constitution bench comprising Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Madan B Lokur, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh and Justice NV Ramana issued the notice giving the Centre time till January 29 to file its response and directed the hearing of the matter on Monday.
The court also gave liberty to petitioner Congress chief whip in Arunachal Pradesh Rajesh Tacho to amend the plea to include challenge to the presidential proclamation. The bench was also of the view that no interim order can be obtained unless the parties see the grounds for proclamation for President's rule.
The Congress on Monday had moved the Supreme Court challenging the cabinet decision on Sunday to impose President's Rule in Arunachal Pradesh based on the recommendation of state Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa.
The petition moved by Tacho has assailed the report of Governor for imposition of President's Rule and its acceptance by the Union Cabinet and subsequent recommendation to the President.
The Supreme Court had earlier agreed to a fresh plea by Congress' counsels Fali S Nariman and Kapil Sibal to hear the matter on an urgent basis and referred the case to a larger constitution bench which is already hearting other petitions on the matter.
Congress has 47 seats in the 60-member Arunachal assembly. It suffered a setback when 21 of its MLAs in the state assembly rebelled. Eleven BJP MLAs backed the rebels in the bid to upstage the Nabam Tuki government. Later, 14 rebel Congress MLAs were disqualified.
The Governor then called assembly session on December 16 where deputy speaker revoked the disqualification of 14 rebel Congress MLAs and removed Rebia from the post of Speaker. This sitting was held in a community hall in Itanagar.
Various decisions of the governor and the deputy speaker were challenged by Rebia in Gauhati high court which passed an interim order keeping in abeyance these decisions till February 1.
