Centre should stop having its own way, observes Uttarakhand HC

Dehradun, April 7  The Uttarakhand High Court on Thursday said the Centre should stop having its own way while imposing the President's Rule.

"We will protect the interests of the appellants. If the Centre continues to have its own way, Article 356 will be revoked in Uttarakhand," a division bench of Chief Justice K.M. Joseph and Justice V.K. Bisht observed.

The court was hearing a plea challenging the imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand. The case will now be heard on April 8.

As the hearing on the pleas challenging the imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand as well as the issuance of an ordinance by the central government regarding the state's annual budget began on Thursday morning, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi requested for more time regarding the ordinance case.

Congress leader and senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is representing outgoing chief minister Harish Rawat in the President's Rule case, opposed Rohatgi's plea and accused the Centre of trying to make the matter linger on.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Harish Rawat on Thursday filed another petition in the high court, pleading that the Congress should get the chance to prove its majority in the state assembly and not the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.

The high court has asked the Centre to file its reply in the ordinance matter by April 12. This case will be heard on April 18.

The high court on Wednesday rejected the Centre's request to adjourn the hearing of Rawat's appeal challenging President's Rule in the state. 

The central government has challenged a single-judge order of the high court for a vote in the assembly on March 31 by the Harish Rawat government to prove its majority.