Congress today refused to be drawn into judging President Pranab Mukherjee's decision to approve the NDA government's recommendation to impose Central Rule in Uttarakhand, saying it should be left to "his wisdom".
"What the President should have done or should not have done, I am not going to (pass a) judgment (on) that. Let it be confined within the Constitutional arrangements. I think it is best left to the wisdom of the President," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said at a press conference here.
He was responding to a query on whether Congress was happy with the role of the President in instantly accepting the recommendation of the Centre when he had the option of sending it for a review.
When pointed out that the President was once a Congress leader, Tiwari said, "President was a senior and respected Congress leader till July 2012. Now he is the President of India and the President of India is a non-party in office."
"The President is bound by the advice of the Council of Ministers. The Constitutional position on that is fairly clear," he said.
He, however, accused the Centre of "murdering democracy" by imposing President's rule in the second Congress-ruled state within two months.
"I would like to point out that when the Governor had given time to Chief Minister for a floor test, when every decision of Supreme Court on (SR) Bommai says that a floor test is the only way to test the majority of a government, then why did the Prime Minister and his Cabinet unceremoniously, almost through a coup, topple the government in Uttarakhand?" he asked.
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Tewari termed the decision a "dead and sledgehammer blow to Indian federalism" and said the people of the country will give a befitting reply to the BJP government, including in Assam in the upcoming Assembly polls.
"It is a planned systematic design to destabilise and weaken the Congress government. They did it in Arunchal Pradesh by luring MLAs. In Assam, they tried it by stopping funds and changing the funding pattern. It will be dealt with by people of the country," Tewari said.
He said Modi "does not believe in Constitution and the federal structure" of India and behaves in a "dictatorial" manner.
"The Centre is misusing the power to demolish elected governments and this shows the BJP's faith in Constitution and the democratic setup of the country," he said.
