Congress hails Uttarakhand High Court ruling

The Congress on Thursday hailed as a victory of democracy the ruling of the Uttarakhand High Court setting aside the imposition of President's Rule in the state.

"Congress is proud of Indian democracy and the judicial system to whom alone aggrieved citizens of the country can turn for relief at a time of crisis," party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at a press conference at the party headquarters here after the court verdict.

Singhvi, who was also the lawyer of ousted Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat in this case, asserted that the ruling of the court has reinstated the position of the state assembly to what it was on March 27 -- the day President's Rule was imposed.

"The court has ordered a floor test on April 29," Singhvi said, adding that this is the first time in the history of Indian democracy that a live and operational Article 356 (for President's Rule) has been quashed by a court of law.

Singhvi also insisted that the nine rebel Congress legislators should continue to remain disqualified as their petition against the decision of the speaker of Uttarakhand assembly has also been quashed.

Uttarakhand Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal had disqualified nine congress legislators who along with the BJP lawmakers had signed a memorandum against the Harish Rawat government last month, leading to a crisis.

The legislators had approached the high court against the speaker's decision.

--IANS

vin-rak/rn /vt