Blow to BJP as court revokes President's Rule in Uttarakhand

Dehradun In a major blow to the BJPled central government the Uttarakhand High Court on Thursday set aside Presidents Rule in the state restoring Congress leader Harish Rawat as the chief minister nearly a month after he was oustedThe dramatic decision also asking Rawat to prove his legislative majority in the 70member assembly on April 29 triggered Congress celebrations while the Aam Aadmi Party AAP called it a huge embarrassment for the Narendra Modi governmentThe court came down heavily on the central government for its March 27 move to dismiss Rawat under the much contested Article 356 that empowers the union cabinet to impose Presidents Rule in a stateThe case brings to the fore a situation where 356 has been used contrary to the law the court said adding the article should only be used as a last resortThe proclamation of March 27 stands quashed said the court in the status quo ante order meaning the previously existing state of affairs was being restoredA visibly pleased Rawat hailed the decision as a victory for the people Uttarakhand has got justice I stand vindicated he told the media shortly after the verdictUttarakhand was plunged into political uncertainty after nine Congress legislators including former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna whom Rawat replaced revolted and turned to the Bharatiya Janata Party BJPThe crisis peaked on March 18 when the assembly passed the budget Appropriation Bill by voice vote even as the opposition including the rebel Congress members sought recorded voting But Speaker Govind Kunjwal declined the request leading the BJP to cry foulRawat was then asked by Governor KK Paul to prove his majority on March 28 Just a day before the central government ousted the Rawatled government by imposing Presidents Rule Rawat immediately went to courtOn Thursday Rawat said the ruling to restore his government had begun a new phase in the state and asked the Modi government to honour its stated policy of cooperative federalismThe BJP claimed the court ruling was not a surpriseIts general secretary and Uttarakhand affairs in charge Kailash Vijayvargiya who played a key role in the developments leading to Rawats ouster insisted that Rawat wont be able to prove his majorityWe will prove on April 29 that the Rawat government was and is in minority he said in New DelhiAfter ouster of Rawat Vijayvargiya had claimed that Congressled governments in Himachal Pradesh and Manipur were on their way out like it happened earlier in Arunachal PradeshBut another senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy slammed Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar for the fiascoTime to get a new AG and SG for the BJP government We can win the Uttarakhand case Swamy tweetedBJP sources said the central government was considering moving the Supreme CourtAn overjoyed Congress called the court ruling a victory for democracy and the judicial system to whom alone aggrieved citizens can turn for reliefThe imposition of Presidents Rule was unconstitutional spokesman Abishek Singhvi said in New DelhiThe law was deliberately and consciously violated by the central government We hope that those who are watching different states with greedy eyes should learn a lessonDelhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the court verdict was a huge embarrassment to the Modi governmentTill now the Modi government used to declare our orders null and void Today the high court has declared their order null and void