Our 'constitutional responsibility' to fix Congress' mess in Arunachal: Govt.

Hitting out at the Congress for escalating the row over recommendation of President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh, the Centre on Tuesday said that it was their 'constitutional right and responsibility' to end the crisis created by the grand old party in the state.

"Today, there is a constitutional crisis in Arunachal because of the Congress and it is the Centre's right and responsibility to fix the situation. If they (Congress) can't understand this simple fact and are trying to politicise this issue, then there is no solution to that. It is our constitutional responsibility to fix any situations in a state. We are doing our job," Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told ANI here.

He asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will respond to the charges of the Congress in court as well as in Parliament

"Instead of creating chaos in the Parliament, we invite them to have a structured debate and discussion," Naqvi added.

BJP leader Nalin Kohli also echoed similar sentiments and said that the Centre will take decisions based on the interest of the state and the country, not on the basis of how political parties oppose to the BJP.

"The recommendation regarding Arunachal was taken keeping in mind constitutional requirements as also the situation there, which would included situations regarding law and order and if anyone wants to challenge it or not, they are in their rights to do so. In any case, the government will make decisions based on the interest of the state and the country not on the basis of how political parties oppose to the BJP," Kohli told ANI.

The Congress Party has, however, dubbed the government's move as 'unconstitutional' and alleged that it exposed the dictatorial tendencies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his people.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday met President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan to apprise him about the decision of the Union Cabinet to recommend imposition of central rule in Arunachal Pradesh.

In a related development, a Congress delegation also met President Mukherjee to convey him of the 'onslaught' by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to destabilise border-states, especially Arunachal Pradesh.

"The constitution is being blown to bits here. Tomorrow is 26th January and one day before it the BJP Government has called for President's rule in Arunachal. They don't believe in Parliament not in the judiciary. We will go against such a government in Parliament, court and the public on how they are destroying democracy," Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told the media here.

The President was briefed by the delegation on the proceedings of the court and presented him with a memorandum, asking him to look into the matter.

Meanwhile, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has said that the grand old party will fight this 'attack on the constitution and the people's mandate'.

"Modiji you talk about federalism but murder democracy. You talk about cooperation but use every means to coerce. Imposing President's rule in Arunachal is a blatant bid to topple a duly elected Govt. The Congress Party will fight this attack on our constitution, on our democracy, on the people's mandate," Rahul said.

The Union Cabinet yesterday recommended President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh. The recommendation has been sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for his approval.

Arunachal Pradesh was rocked by a political crisis on December 16 last year as 21 rebel Congress MLAs joined hands with BJP's 11 MLAs and two independents to impeach Assembly Speaker Nabam Rebia at a makeshift venue.

The Speaker termed the move as illegal and unconstitutional.