Days after chaos in the Uttarakhand assembly on March 17, the Centre imposed President's rule (File Photo)
Highlights
- Why the hurry in imposing President's Rule in Uttarakhand, asks court
- Centre lists sting alleging CM was prompting horse trading among reasons
- CDs can be fabricated, replies court, referencing JNU's Kanhaiya Kumar
The Uttarakhand High Court today rapped the Centre for "its tearing hurry" in imposing President's rule in the state on March 27. It reminded the Attorney General of India representing the Centre that the government had based the decision on a sting operation and CDs can be fabricated.
"What about Kanhaiya kumar, in that case the CD seems to have been fabricated?" Chief Justice KM Joseph said. "What was the tearing hurry to pre-empt the completion of the exercise of choice as desired by the Governor? Had you waited for a couple of days a lot of this would have been avoided including passage of the bill," the Chief Justice told AG Mukul Rohtagi.
A division bench of the court headed by the chief justice is hearing two petitions filed by former Chief Minister Harish Rawat against imposition of President's rule in the state on March 27 and promulgation of the Appropriation ordinance by the Centre. The basis for the ordinance is the Centre's stance that the money bill was never passed in the state assembly.
The Centre had used Article 356 of the Constitution to impose President's rule in the hill state a day before Mr Rawat was to prove majority in the assembly.
Mr Rohatgi, while defending the Centre's decision to impose President's rule, quoted the eight reports from Governor KK Paul to President Pranab Mukherjee, including the one which mentioned a sting operation alleging Mr Rawat was prompting horse trading.
Mr Rawat moved an application in the Uttarakhand High Court this afternoon saying if President's rule is removed, he should be called first to prove majority in the state assembly.
"Will the Centre assure there will be no hanky-panky as alleged by the Congress?" the court asked the Centre's counsel after the Congress said the Centre could remove President's rule to install a BJP government in the state. Mr Rohtagi said the Centre would inform the court first. The High Court also allowed the Centre to file a counter affidavit in response to Mr Rawat's pleas on April 12. The court will take up the matter on April 18.