Prez’s Rule in Uttarakhand: Guv Holds Meeting, Cong to Move Court
Governor directed the officials to ensure maintenance of law and order in wake of the Prez’s rule.
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President’s Rule was imposed in Uttarakhand on Sunday after days of political uncertainty triggered by a rebellion in the ruling Congress, prompting Chief Minister Harish Rawat to accuse the BJP-led central government of murdering democracy.
Soon after this development Governor Krishna Kant held a meeting with top officials including Chief Secretary Shatrughna Singh and DGP B S Sidhu. The Governor reportedly directed them to “ensure maintenance of law and order, communal harmony, and security and safety of public property on a priority basis.”
A Raj Bhawan release said that directions were also given to officials at the state, division and district levels to ensure smooth delivery of essential public services and running of administration.
Congress Calls Prez’s Rule Arunachal-II
Reacting strongly over the imposition of President’s rule, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi tweeted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying “don’t let your love of power overrule people’s mandate”.
Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala also condemned the move.
Parties Condemn Decision to Impose Prez’s Rule
CPI(M) described the President’s rule as“throttling” of democracy. In a series of tweets, party general secretary Sitaram Yechury accused BJP of engaging in “political corruption”.
Yechury also questioned the timing of the move, which he noted, was made when floor test was “just hours” away.
Slamming the move, CPI and JD-U also alleged that the Centre’s decision betrayed a larger design to “not only make a Congress-free India but Opposition-free India”.
JD-U general secretary KC Tyagi said it was an attempt to “sabotage” the constitutional mandate.
Condemning the move, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted that BJP’s actions in Uttarakhand were “a clear admission they knew they were losing the floor test.”
Centre Justifies Prez’s Rule
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley justified the imposition of President’s Rule contending that there was “no better example” for invoking Article 356 as the Harish Rawat government was “unconstitutional” and “immoral” since March 18 when it “lost” majority in the Assembly.
Speaking to media Jaitley said there were “cogent, relevant and extremely important grounds” on which the Union Cabinet came to the decision.
While referring to March 18, he said in the 71-member Assembly, 67 members, excluding the Speaker, were present out of whom 35 wanted Division of Votes on the Appropriation Bill. The Division of votes was sought in writing in advance by the 35 members who also voted against the Bill, despite which the Speaker showed the legislation as passed, Jaitley said. “That was the first violation of Constitution,” he said.
Citing other reasons for dismissing the government, he spoke about the “hard evidence” of Rawat offering allurements to win over MLAs to change the composition of House, discriminatory use of anti-defection law by the Speaker with regard to his action against rebel MLAs of BJP and Congress.
(With PTI inputs)
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