Congress challenges Centre's appropriation ordinance in Uttarakhand HC

The Congress Party on Friday filed a petition before the Uttarakhand High Court challenging the Centre's appropriation ordinance for the state.

President Pranab Mukherjee had earlier signed the ordinance to authorise expenditure in Uttarakhand beyond April 1.

According to reports, the Congress had said that any such ordinance about state finances beyond April 1 would be unconstitutional while alleging it was aimed at justifying the illegal clamping of the Centre's rule in Uttarakhand.

A two-judge of the Nainital bench of the High Court had on Wednesday 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.