Uttarakhand budget passed by elected assembly: Rawat

Countering the allegations levelled by union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, ousted Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat on Tuesday asserted that the state's annual budget was passed by "an elected and functional state assembly".

Jaitley on Monday justified the imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand, alleging the Congress government had failed to get the Money Appropriation Bill passed in the state assembly.

"We firmly believe that the budget was passed by an elected and functional Uttarakhand assembly. Even the constitution empowers an elected and existing state assembly to pass it," Rawat told reporters here.

"Uttarakhand's assembly was in existence on March 18, as it is today. Since it is in suspended animation, that itself means the assembly is in existence," Rawat said, insisting that the budget passed by his government "is a documented evidence of the state's aspirations".

He added that people of Uttarakhand "will not tolerate such dirty tricks played by the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)."

Rawat said any attempt to change the provisions of the budget will be "an insult" to the state and the legislative business it had conducted over the years.