A day after Home Minister Rajnath Singh was asked to present clarifications in person, President Pranab Mukherjee, on Tuesday, signed off on central rule for Arunachal Pradesh, indicating his agreement with the government's assessment of the state's political crisis.
In a statement on Tuesday evening, the Home Ministry said constitutional breakdown that has taken place in Arunachal Pradesh was the reason behind the government's recommendation to impose President's rule in the state.
The Congress - which was governing the state - has taken the union government to the Supreme Court, challenging its decision to call for President's rule. A hearing is set for Wednesday. The Congress has also asked other opposition parties to back its allegation that the Centre is determined to undermine or remove governments that are not led by the BJP or its allies.
Arunachal Pradesh lurched into a political crisis in December when nearly half of the Congress' state legislators rebelled to team up with the BJP and voted to remove the Speaker and Chief Minister Nabam Tuki at an assembly session called by Governor JP Rajkhowa; the legislators met at a community hall and then a hotel in the state capital of Itanagar. The Congress has accused the Governor of acting as "a BJP agent". Accusing the BJP of destabilising a legitimate government, Chief Minister Tuki said he is hopeful of relief from court.
The Congress has, in the Gauhati High Court, said that the assembly session called by the Governor in December amounts to a violation of the constitution because Chief Minister Tuki or his cabinet were not consulted about the meeting. The High Court said decisions taken during this assembly session remain suspended till it decides on whether the Governor acted unconstitutionally. It eventually vacated the stay prompting the Speaker to approach the Supreme Court.
However, the Centre counters that law and order in the state had deteriorated, an assembly session had not been held for six months, and that state legislators were denied access to the Assembly because the Speaker had the building locked up.