New Delhi: After days of political tussle in Uttarakhand, President's rule has been imposed in the hill state. President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation under Article 356 of the Constitution on Sunday morning, sources said.
This comes a day before Chief Minister Harish Rawat was to face floor test in the state Assembly.
The recommendation for Central rule was made by the Union Cabinet at its emergency meeting on Saturday night which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who cut short his visit to Assam. After the Cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley briefed the President on Saturday night, the sources said.
The state Assembly has been kept in suspended animation.
Rebel Congress MLA Subodh Uniyal accused party vice president Rahul Gandhi for the crisis saying he misjudged the situation. "We are open to go with the BJP but we have not decided it yet," said Uniyal.
Another rebel Congress MLA Harish Rawat also backed Uniyal and blamed the Congress high command for the current situation.
Not naming anyone, senior Congress leader and rebel MLA Vijay Bahunguna said, "The party should introspect why Congress MLAs defected from the party. Harish Rawat has lost the confidence of the MLA. He blatantly misused power."
Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul also submitted a report to the Centre mentioning a complete breakdown on law and order in the state.
The Congress is crying foul on the development and called it the murder of democracy. The party is also planning to move court, the sources said.
"The Centre is threatening a small state like Uttarakhand with President's rule. It is not acceptable in a parliamentary system. There is a procedure for President's rule, which has emerged following precedence," he told reporters on the eve of the floor test which he is due to face in the state assembly.
The political crisis in the state arose after the controversial circumstances in which the Appropriation Bill was declared passed in the Assembly by the Speaker with the BJP and the rebel Congress claiming that a division of votes pressed by them was not allowed.
They alleged that the Bill was defeated in the voice vote by a majority of the members present but the Speaker did not test it in a proper division of votes.
The opposition claimed that it had a majority of 35 MLAs, including 9 rebels, in the House that day out of 67 MLAs present.
The BJP said the 35 MLAs had written to the Speaker in advance that they would be voting against the bill but the Speaker had refused to take it into his consideration.
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