'Mother of defection' Congress should introspect why its legislators are leaving party: Naidu

Justifying the imposition of President's rule in Uttarakhand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday slammed the Congress leadership, asking it to 'introspect' as to why its legislators are leaving the party instead of blaming the Central Government.

Shifting the blame on the grand old party for 'defection' of its legislators, he said, "as far as the issue of Congress party crying foul, it's like devils quoting scriptures. The Congress Party has dismissed 91 democratically elected governments from time to time. The mother of defection is the Congress Party. They are the greatest destabilizers in the country. It is the party that has imposed emergency. They are getting back what they have done to the country."

Naidu further stated that it is the lack of confidence in the leadership of the Congress Party that this kind of crisis is happening in the different party of the country.

The Congress Party has accused the Centre of murdering democracy by imposing President's rule in the state.

Hailing the Nainital High Court's stay on his floor test as his 'double-victory', buoyed Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat yesterday said the toppling of an elected government is a murder of democracy and constitutional traditions.

"The court has said it will soon give its decision on the imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand, which is a welcome development. Ending of President's Rule is in the interest of the state," he added.

A two-judge bench of the Nainital High Court had yesterday stayed the floor test for the Harish Rawat Government in the Uttarakhand assembly, which was scheduled for March 31, and decided to take up the matter on April 6.

The crisis in the hill state erupted on March 18 when nine Congress MLAs rebelled against the Rawat government, resulting in a flip-flop in the passage of the Appropriation Bill.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) met Governor K.K. Paul on the same day and staked claim to form a government.

However, the Centre imposed President's Rule last Sunday, a day before Rawat was supposed to take the floor test in the Assembly.