Signalling a stormy start to the second half of the Budget Session on Monday, Congress today gave a notice to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari seeking passage of a resolution condemning the Modi government for "destabilistion" of the Uttarakhand government and imposition of President's rule in the state.
The development came hours after the Uttarakhand High Court ordered reinstatement of the Harish Rawat government, setting aside the Presidential proclamation imposing central rule.
Congress's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma gave the notice to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari under Rule 267 for taking up the resolution after suspending all business.
The resolution seeks to "deplore" the "destabilisation" of the democratically elected government in Uttarakhand and "disapprove" the "unjustified" imposition of President's Rule there under Article 356 of the Constitution.
Delivering a major blow to the Modi government, the Uttarakhand High Court gave a fresh lease of life to the government headed by Rawat, who has been asked to prove his majority in the Assembly on April 29.
Coming down heavily on the Centre for the March 27 proclamation, a division bench of the court headed by Chief Justice K M Joseph said the imposition of President's rule was contrary to the law laid down by the Supreme Court.
Ever since the dismissal of the Rawat government and clamping of central rule, Congress had mounted an offensive against the Narendra Modi dispensation.
The party had started 'Loktantra Bachao, Uttarakhand Bachao' (Save Democracy, Save Uttarakhand) campaign to mobilise public support against the Centre.
Buoyed by the High Court order, Congress is likely to make it a major issue in Parliament when it reconvenes on April 25. It is also likely to raise questions over the imposition of President's rule earlier in party-ruled Arunachal Pradesh.
